Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Panajachel

For one person, living is cheaper in Panajachel: $745 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Panajachel

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Panajachel

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $745 in Panajachel, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Panajachel $745

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,242 in Panajachel, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Panajachel $1,242

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,739 in Panajachel, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Panajachel $1,739

Medellin costs about 127% more than Panajachel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Panajachel is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.89 Q 52.6

21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$49.46 Q 378

-5.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$7.91 Q 60.4

19.72%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.42 Q 26.13

-8.48%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$1.16 Q 8.84

52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.93 Q 7.09

52.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.18 Q 24.30

-0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$4.72 Q 36.03

20.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$2.10 Q 16.01

-27.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$3.08 Q 23.56

-25.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$2.13 Q 16.28

-8.92%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$2.35 Q 17.94

30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$6.33 Q 48.35

57.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$9.54 Q 72.9

9.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$13.46 Q 103

3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.78 Q 28.92

7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.65 Q 12.64

-7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$2.84 Q 21.68

-26.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$1.63 Q 12.46

40.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$1.53 Q 11.70

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$2.08 Q 15.90

-17.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$0.68 Q 5.19

72.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$1.17 Q 8.91

35.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.02 Q 30.75

-2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$8.24 Q 63.0

70.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$1.71 Q 13.07

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$2.72 Q 20.80

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$5.18 Q 39.60

-65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$10.60 Q 81.0

-23.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.34 Q 10.25

-4.48%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$27.1K Q 206.7K

27.30%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$25.2K Q 192.9K

35.25%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$72.7 Q 555

144.61%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$29.08 Q 222

-52.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$45.40 Q 347

-32.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.40 Q 48.88

16.72%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$338 Q 2,584

133.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$6,571 Q 50.2K

87.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$49.15 Q 376

75.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$47.06 Q 360

25.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$115 Q 881

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$111 Q 846

-10.72%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.62

-5.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panajachel: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Panajachel

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Panajachel

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Panajachel

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Panajachel

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Panajachel

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Panajachel

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Panajachel

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $49 in Panajachel. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $281 in Panajachel – so Panajachel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇹 Panajachel

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

00:42 12:42 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,142

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.55 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Panajachel 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Panajachel

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 Panajachel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,117 in Panajachel. 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 $49 in Panajachel. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panajachel costs $745 versus $1,692 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.