Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kaštela Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kaštela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,395 in Kaštela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,164 in Kaštela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,932 in Kaštela.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 27% less than in Kaštela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Kaštela is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$16.28 €14.00

-63.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$80.7 €69.4

-59.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.51 €8.18

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.81 €2.42

-39.15%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$3.56 €3.06

-69.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$2.64 €2.27

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$4.60 €3.96

-63.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.74 €3.22

-17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.38 €1.19

-21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.55 €1.33

-18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$3.03 €2.61

-54.46%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.81 €3.27

-42.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.59 €8.25

-54.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$9.76 €8.40

-42.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$12.55 €10.80

-29.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.69 €1.46

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.65 €1.42

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.12 €1.82

-29.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.36 €2.03

-41.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.51 €1.30

-23.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.45 €1.25

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.42 €1.22

-37.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.26 €1.08

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$5.74 €4.94

-60.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.34 €6.31

44.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.37 €1.18

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.18 €1.01

109.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$2.33 €2.00

-63.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$37.76 €32.48

9.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.44 €2.96

-57.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$2.04 €1.76

-3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$9.29 €7.99

-16.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.70 €1.47

-44.12%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$38.5K €33.1K

-52.88%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$26.6K €22.9K

-0.50%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$184 €158

-55.23%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$24.06 €20.69

-60.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$25.56 €21.99

-5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$58.6 €50.4

-55.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$14.59 €12.55

30.23%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.29 €7.99

-57.70%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$187 €161

65.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,402 €1,206

325.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$83.5 €71.8

-29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$27.96 €24.05

15.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$107 €92.2

-4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$104 €89.4

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$481 €414

-1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$346 €298

9.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$619 €532

35.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$554 €476

30.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,420 €2,942

-18.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,463 €2,118

-50.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$926 €797

-44.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.35

208.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kaštela: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $481 in Kaštela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaštela pays 81% 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 $81.0 in Kaštela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $263 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 Kaštela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kaštela differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,395 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaštela earns 81% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $481 in Kaštela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 10% less than in Kaštela. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $187 in Kaštela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,395 in Kaštela, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kaštela. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kaštela are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Kaštela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.