Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gurabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Gurabo: $1,207 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Gurabo
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Gurabo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Gurabo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gurabo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,207 in Gurabo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Gurabo $1,207

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,857 in Gurabo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Gurabo $1,857

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,506 in Gurabo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Gurabo $2,506

Medellin costs about 36% more than Gurabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Gurabo is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$10.02 $10.02

-19.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$65.2 $65.2

-27.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.92 $8.92

6.50%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.97 $2.97

1.35%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.46 $1.46

23.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.02 $3.02

5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.44 $3.44

67.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$2.11 $2.11

-28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$3.05 $3.05

-21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$2.44 $2.44

-27.46%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$5.08 $5.08

-43.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$12.60 $12.60

-19.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$9.91 $9.91

-0.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$13.08 $13.08

6.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$5.14 $5.14

-22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$2.14 $2.14

-27.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$4.73 $4.73

-53.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$4.72 $4.72

-53.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$3.70 $3.70

-47.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$3.99 $3.99

-60.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$3.37 $3.37

-65.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.59 $1.59

-22.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$11.81 $11.81

-66.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$9.96 $9.96

37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.77 $1.77

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$2.53 $2.53

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$2.47 $2.47

-48.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.46 $1.46

40.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$41.26 $41.26

-79.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.02 $1.02

32.35%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$34.6K $34.6K

-1.44%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$28.2K $28.2K

22.92%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$327 $327

-48.04%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$68.1 $68.1

-80.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$70.7 $70.7

-60.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$10.10 $10.10

332.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$10.32 $10.32

-33.04%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$837 $837

-4.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$12.5K $12.5K

-27.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$56.9 $56.9

48.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$61.9 $61.9

-6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$108 $108

24.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$112 $112

-12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gurabo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Gurabo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Gurabo

$375 31.1% 26.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Gurabo

$465 38.5% 120% $254

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Gurabo

$174 14.4% 2.7% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Gurabo

$152 12.6% 9.8% $17

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Gurabo

$9.8 * 0.8% 89.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Gurabo

$31 2.6% 46.6% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $65 in Gurabo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $375 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇷 Gurabo

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

45,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Gurabo 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Gurabo

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 Gurabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 36% more than Gurabo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,811 in Gurabo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $65 in Gurabo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,207 in Gurabo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Gurabo to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.