Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guatemala City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guatemala City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,361 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,031 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,702 in Guatemala City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Guatemala City is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.87 Q 52.3

16.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$49.44 Q 377

-3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.90 Q 60.2

25.19%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.37 Q 25.66

-7.12%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.16 Q 8.84

64.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.85 Q 6.46

77.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.20 Q 24.37

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.84 Q 36.86

18.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.06 Q 15.74

-30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.93 Q 22.33

-15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.08 Q 15.87

-14.90%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.58 Q 19.66

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.38 Q 48.63

57.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.59 Q 73.1

5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.47 Q 103

6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$4.01 Q 30.56

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.67 Q 12.70

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.81 Q 21.44

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.63 Q 12.42

38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.51 Q 11.51

35.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.08 Q 15.85

-25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.68 Q 5.22

72.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.15 Q 8.73

13.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.01 Q 30.55

-2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.03 Q 61.2

74.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.73 Q 13.17

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.62 Q 19.97

9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.30 Q 9.88

-6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$14.15 Q 108

468.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.11 Q 38.97

-74.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$10.67 Q 81.3

-18.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.22 Q 9.31

12.30%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$27.6K Q 210.2K

0.92%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.0K Q 190.2K

43.33%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$76.1 Q 580

133.14%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$29.03 Q 221

-52.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$45.87 Q 350

-35.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$39.45 Q 301

13.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$13.06 Q 99.6

31.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.38 Q 48.65

4.23%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$340 Q 2,591

139.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,730 Q 51.3K

36.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$46.11 Q 351

94.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$47.80 Q 364

23.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$109 Q 831

26.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$115 Q 875

-11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$836 Q 6,375

26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$536 Q 4,082

23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,540 Q 11.7K

22.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$819 Q 6,241

25.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,032 Q 15.5K

105.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,109 Q 8,453

50.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$844 Q 6,435

-19.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.62

-5.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $836 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $49.00 in Guatemala City. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $281, with Guatemala City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Guatemala City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $836 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,361 in Guatemala City – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,361 in Guatemala City versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,361 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.