Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayaquil: $1,136 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guayaquil

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 Guayaquil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,136 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Guayaquil $1,136

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,775 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Guayaquil $1,775

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,413 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Guayaquil $2,413

Medellin costs about 42% more than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Guayaquil is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.94 $3.94

101.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$52.6 $52.6

-12.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.15 $9.15

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.82 $2.82

10.28%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.91 $0.91

101.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.74 $0.74

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.05 $3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.15 $4.15

32.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.16 $1.16

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.98 $1.98

19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.47 $1.47

14.29%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.07 $2.07

38.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.02 $7.02

45.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.18 $5.18

83.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$9.26 $9.26

51.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.48 $1.48

175.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.14 $1.14

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$0.98 $0.98

121.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.94 $0.94

145.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.22 $1.22

58.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.98 $0.98

67.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.88 $0.88

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.94 $0.94

32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.91 $5.91

-32.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.19 $12.19

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.55 $1.55

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.19 $2.19

8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.36 $0.36

236.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$19.61 $19.61

290.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.77 $2.77

-52.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.80 $1.80

18.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$12.16 $12.16

-30.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.88 $0.88

47.73%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.1K $21.1K

32.45%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$31.3K $31.3K

13.11%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$131 $131

31.57%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$14.76 $14.76

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$26.25 $26.25

9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$46.30 $46.30

-2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$26.54 $26.54

-35.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.29 $7.29

-13.85%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$378 $378

103.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$5,590 $5,590

61.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$66.2 $66.2

30.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$41.10 $41.10

39.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$124 $124

10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$93.8 $93.8

4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$476 $476

121.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$401 $401

53.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$800 $800

136.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$740 $740

38.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,275 $2,275

78.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,451 $1,451

15.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$612 $612

6.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.05

8.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Guayaquil

$401 35.3% 34.9% $215

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Guayaquil

$200 17.6% 32.1% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Guayaquil

$172 15.1% 19.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Guayaquil

$146 12.9% 14.1% $24

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Guayaquil

$123 10.8% 27% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Guayaquil

$33 2.9% 64.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Guayaquil

$61 5.4% 5.3% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $476 in Guayaquil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $53.0 in Guayaquil. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $200 in Guayaquil – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,500,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Guayaquil 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Guayaquil

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 Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,704 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $378 in Guayaquil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guayaquil, where all-in costs run around $1,136, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Guayaquil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guayaquil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Guayaquil. 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.