Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quetzaltenango

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetzaltenango: $1,138 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Quetzaltenango
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Quetzaltenango Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Quetzaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quetzaltenango

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,138 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Quetzaltenango $1,138

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,443 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Quetzaltenango $1,443

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,747 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Quetzaltenango $1,747

Medellin costs about 44% more than Quetzaltenango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.77 Q 51.7

19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$50.9 Q 389

-7.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.68 Q 58.7

23.70%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.36 Q 25.69

-10.42%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.10 Q 8.40

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.97 Q 7.44

45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.33 Q 25.45

-4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$4.62 Q 35.27

24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.10 Q 16.01

-28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$2.57 Q 19.64

-7.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.05 Q 15.69

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.36 Q 18.05

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.37 Q 48.69

59.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.92 Q 60.5

24.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$13.09 Q 100

6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.96 Q 22.58

34.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.72 Q 13.14

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.92 Q 22.34

-25.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.60 Q 12.20

36.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.54 Q 11.73

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.20 Q 16.79

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.74 Q 5.65

55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.16 Q 8.90

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.35 Q 25.61

18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.04 Q 61.5

70.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.78 Q 13.57

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.60 Q 19.84

-13.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$5.12 Q 39.12

-75.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.72 Q 13.16

19.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.34 Q 79.0

-17.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.33 Q 10.14

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$27.6K Q 210.6K

23.59%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$25.8K Q 197.5K

34.14%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$72.2 Q 551

135.10%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$12.97 Q 99.1

4.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$46.36 Q 354

-39.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$33.27 Q 254

31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.34 Q 48.46

8.99%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$342 Q 2,613

132.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,808 Q 52.0K

33.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$48.78 Q 373

73.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$47.81 Q 365

21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$110 Q 839

22.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$112 Q 853

-12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$399 Q 3,052

202.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$389 Q 2,971

65.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Quetzaltenango

$389 34.2% 39.4% $253

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Quetzaltenango

$263 23.1% 11.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Quetzaltenango

$131 11.6% 37.8% $80

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Quetzaltenango

$152 13.3% 10.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Quetzaltenango

$143 12.6% 15.3% $26

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Quetzaltenango

$14 * 1.2% 85.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Quetzaltenango

$46 4% 20.1% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $399 in Quetzaltenango. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $51 in Quetzaltenango. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $263 in Quetzaltenango – so Quetzaltenango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇹 Quetzaltenango

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

500,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.53 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Quetzaltenango 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,707 in Quetzaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetzaltenango, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $399 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $51 in Quetzaltenango. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,138 in Quetzaltenango. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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