Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayama: $1,273 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin, Colombia
Guayama, Puerto Rico
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Guayama
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guayama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Guayama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $1,273 in Guayama.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Guayama $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,987 in Guayama.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Guayama $1,987

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $2,701 in Guayama.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Guayama $2,701

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than in Guayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Guayama is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$18.91 $18.91
-55.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$80.7 $80.7
-42.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$9.15 $9.15
3.50%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$3.58 $3.58
-12.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,696
$1.82 $1.82
-2.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,594
$1.46 $1.46
-2.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.98 $2.98
5.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$4.89 $4.89
16.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,943
$2.16 $2.16
-29.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,389
$2.79 $2.79
-17.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,273
$2.41 $2.41
-19.50%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,889
$4.71 $4.71
-34.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$11.43 $11.43
-12.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$9.68 $9.68
7.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$8.66 $8.66
61.20%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.26 $2.26
79.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,929
$2.66 $2.66
-42.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,786
$4.73 $4.73
-55.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$4.92 $4.92
-53.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,803
$3.76 $3.76
-43.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,512
$4.04 $4.04
-57.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,774
$3.54 $3.54
-66.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,096
$1.65 $1.65
-4.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$12.01 $12.01
-67.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$15.81 $15.81
-11.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,682
$3.09 $3.09
-43.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,746
$3.92 $3.92
-30.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,805
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,827
$2.54 $2.54
-28.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,867
$0.95 $0.95
124.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$41.80 $41.80
-80.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,113
$1.18 $1.18
8.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$34.5K $34.5K
-0.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$27.8K $27.8K
22.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.2K
$326 $326
-45.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$70.3 $70.3
-80.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.1K
$70.9 $70.9
-56.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.3K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$10.71 $10.71
-30.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$805 $805
-1.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$12.7K $12.7K
-2.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.4K
$56.3 $56.3
53.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.1K
$60.0 $60.0
-1.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.2K
$108 $108
28.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.7K
$113 $113
-12.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Guayama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.55
67.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Guayama: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Guayama
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Guayama
$366 18.9% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Guayama
$467 110% $245
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Guayama
$260 50.4% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Guayama
$152 11.9% $20
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Guayama
$7.3 * 92.2% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Guayama
$21 * 62.4% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $81 in Guayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $366 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇷 Guayama
🕒 Local time
01:06 1:06 AM
02:06 2:06 AM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
18,797
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Guayama 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Guayama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Guayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Guayama?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,273 in Guayama, so Guayama is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Guayama?
You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $1,909 in Guayama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Guayama?
Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $805 in Guayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $81 in Guayama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to Guayama?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Guayama gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Guayama?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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