Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Rita, Paraguay

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $970 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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

$1,639

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Santa Rita

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $970 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Santa Rita $970

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,448 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Santa Rita $1,448

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,927 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Santa Rita $1,927

Medellin costs about 69% more than Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Santa Rita is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.50 ₲20.9K

131.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$34.81 ₲207.6K

35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.42 ₲20.4K

-11.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.85 ₲5,044

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.54 ₲3,218

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.35 ₲8,058

325.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.16 ₲6,898

30.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.92 ₲11.5K

23.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.18 ₲7,048

50.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.75 ₲16.4K

5.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.94 ₲47.4K

28.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.27 ₲25.5K

131.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.06 ₲66.0K

26.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$5.17 ₲30.9K

-23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.39 ₲20.2K

-35.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.18 ₲18.9K

-31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$3.57 ₲21.3K

-45.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.59 ₲15.4K

-38.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.91 ₲5,447

26.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.40 ₲8,368

-11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$5.17 ₲30.8K

164.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.70 ₲16.1K

-16.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.36 ₲8,091

-13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$41.02 ₲244.7K

88.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$4.41 ₲26.3K

-53.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.80 ₲22.7K

125.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.41 ₲8,406

-4.26%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$9,540 ₲56.9M

257.09%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$110 ₲658.9K

53.57%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$24.20 ₲144.3K

-44.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$39.39 ₲235.0K

-28.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$43.03 ₲256.7K

1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$25.76 ₲153.7K

-33.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.74 ₲52.2K

-20.94%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$79.0 ₲470.9K

909.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$51.4 ₲306.7K

64.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$87.4 ₲521.2K

-33.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$69.5 ₲414.5K

40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$341 ₲2.0M

254.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$264 ₲1.6M

143.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$427 ₲2.5M

375.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$347 ₲2.1M

191.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$513 ₲3.1M

27.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $341 in Santa Rita. 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 28% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Santa Rita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $232 – making Santa Rita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇾 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

35,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,656 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Rita 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Rita

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 Santa Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,455 in Santa Rita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $341 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Santa Rita. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $970 in Santa Rita. That makes Santa Rita about 41% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rita, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Santa Rita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Rita – 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 Santa Rita. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.