Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarda Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,330 in Guarda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,033 in Guarda, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,736 in Guarda, rent included.

Medellin costs about 26% more than Guarda, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Guarda is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$12.87 €11.22

-37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$46.96 €40.94

1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$11.68 €10.19

-15.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.75 €1.52

78.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.96 €1.71

-2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.78 €1.55

-15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.37 €2.07

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.14 €3.61

38.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.06 €0.92

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.68 €1.46

48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.64 €1.43

7.93%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.71 €3.23

-20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.71 €10.21

-14.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$12.42 €10.83

-18.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$24.44 €21.31

-41.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.36 €2.06

75.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.75 €1.52

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.11 €1.84

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.37 €2.07

-5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.46 €2.14

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.40 €2.09

-35.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.96 €0.84

21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.18 €1.03

11.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.98 €6.09

-44.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.31 €4.63

163.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.70 €1.48

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.61 €2.28

9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.68 €1.47

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.06 €4.41

-74.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$17.12 €14.93

-49.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.08 €1.81

-34.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.0K €29.6K

-18.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$39.7K €34.6K

-9.89%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$177 COP 553.2K

$197 €171

-9.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$17.27 €15.05

-19.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$52.9 €46.14

-43.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$57.5 €50.1

-21.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.76 €5.89

-1.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$813 COP 2.5M

$450 €392

80.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$13.9K €12.1K

-33.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$34.03 €29.66

162.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$23.07 €20.11

155.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$138 €120

0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$171 €149

-40.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$398 €347

166.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$294 €256

125.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$750 €653

151.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$574 €501

78.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,367 €1,191

206.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.27

234.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Guarda: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $398 in Guarda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Guarda. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $316 in Guarda – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Guarda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 26% more than Guarda, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,995 in Guarda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,330 in Guarda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $450 in Guarda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarda, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Guarda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarda costs $1,330 versus $1,681 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guarda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.