Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tacarigua

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacarigua: $765 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Tacarigua, Trinidad And Tobago
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Tacarigua
🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago
$765
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tacarigua

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $765 in Tacarigua, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Tacarigua $765

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,312 in Tacarigua, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Tacarigua $1,312

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,858 in Tacarigua, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Tacarigua $1,858

Medellin costs about 114% more than Tacarigua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tacarigua is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$10.18 TTD 68.3
-20.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$59.2 TTD 397
-20.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.93 TTD 53.2
19.80%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$3.76 TTD 25.23
-19.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.99 TTD 6.66
81.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.72 TTD 4.85
95.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.89 TTD 12.68
68.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.55 TTD 17.12
125.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.97 TTD 13.25
-23.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$2.28 TTD 15.27
4.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$2.79 TTD 18.75
-36.56%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$3.85 TTD 25.84
-24.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$6.61 TTD 44.35
54.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$10.11 TTD 67.8
-2.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$8.99 TTD 60.3
55.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$5.39 TTD 36.20
-26.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$2.47 TTD 16.58
-37.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$3.61 TTD 24.19
-39.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$4.22 TTD 28.30
-48.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.71 TTD 4.79
176.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.76 TTD 5.11
109.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$1.49 TTD 10.02
-22.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$1.15 TTD 7.69
7.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.50 TTD 36.91
-28.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$17.42 TTD 117
-21.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.51 TTD 10.11
9.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.97 TTD 19.95
-23.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.86 TTD 5.78
47.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.93 TTD 6.25
120.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$14.51 TTD 97.4
-41.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.16 TTD 7.76
16.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$36.3K TTD 243.6K
-6.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$41.0K TTD 274.9K
-15.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$44.88 TTD 301
278.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$41.74 TTD 280
-67.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$44.94 TTD 302
-37.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$9.09 TTD 61.0
-23.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$406 TTD 2,725
96.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$11.0K TTD 73.9K
-17.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$55.4 TTD 372
52.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$37.45 TTD 251
54.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$89.9 TTD 603
50.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$89.9 TTD 603
8.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
-
-
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 13.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tacarigua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.75
90.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Tacarigua
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Tacarigua
$315 6.2% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Tacarigua
$132 37.7% $80
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Tacarigua
$172 1.3% $2.2
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Tacarigua
$123 27.4% $46
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Tacarigua
$5.5 * 94.1% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tacarigua
$18 * 68.4% $39

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 $59 in Tacarigua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $315 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇹🇹 Tacarigua
🕒 Local time
19:09 7:09 PM
20:09 8:09 PM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
15,067
Exchange rates and currency converter

TTD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.71 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 TTD (1 TTD = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tacarigua 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tacarigua

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 Tacarigua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tacarigua cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,148 in Tacarigua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tacarigua?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $59 in Tacarigua. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Tacarigua?
Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Tacarigua?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Tacarigua, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tacarigua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Tacarigua?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $765 in Tacarigua to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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