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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,211 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,920 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,629 in Guatemala City.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 15% less than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Guatemala City 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.23 Q 39.87

17.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$50.9 Q 388

-35.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.24 Q 47.54

17.63%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.31 Q 25.19

-48.04%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.22 Q 9.26

-13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.93 Q 7.09

-17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$3.33 Q 25.37

-49.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$4.48 Q 34.15

-29.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.05 Q 15.59

-48.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$3.17 Q 24.12

-58.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.05 Q 15.62

-31.71%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.54 Q 19.33

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.77 Q 59.2

-43.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$8.59 Q 65.5

-31.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$11.59 Q 88.3

-25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$3.58 Q 27.28

-36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.52 Q 11.57

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.15 Q 23.98

-51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.84 Q 14.04

-26.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.77 Q 13.46

-36.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$2.36 Q 18.00

-52.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.74 Q 5.61

14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.22 Q 9.31

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.66 Q 27.88

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.11 Q 61.8

52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.59 Q 12.15

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.53 Q 19.24

-1.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.27 Q 9.69

-33.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$13.43 Q 102

202.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$5.19 Q 39.53

-72.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.60 Q 4.54

220.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$15.92 Q 121

-51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.08 Q 8.21

-8.33%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.6K Q 149.6K

-8.18%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$24.8K Q 189.2K

7.20%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$80.4 Q 612

0.56%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$26.23 Q 200

-62.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$48.76 Q 372

-50.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$48.46 Q 369

-48.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$24.54 Q 187

-21.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.16 Q 54.5

-44.41%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$249 Q 1,895

22.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,758 Q 43.9K

5.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$51.0 Q 388

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$53.3 Q 406

-39.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$119 Q 903

-15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$120 Q 912

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$717 Q 5,464

-33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$429 Q 3,269

-12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,372 Q 10.5K

-38.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$760 Q 5,791

-3.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,016 Q 15.4K

59.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,093 Q 8,327

25.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$862 Q 6,566

-28.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.9

50.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $717 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $51.0 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $277 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $717 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $51.0 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $1,211 in Guatemala City – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,211 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.