Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Villarrica, Paraguay

For one person, living is cheaper in Villarrica: $994 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Villarrica, Paraguay
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Villarrica
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$994
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Villarrica

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $994 in Villarrica, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Villarrica $994

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,275 in Villarrica, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Villarrica $1,275

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,556 in Villarrica, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Villarrica $1,556

Medellin costs about 65% more than Villarrica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Villarrica is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$6.89 ₲40.1K
17.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$20.97 ₲122.0K
124.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$6.83 ₲39.7K
39.09%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$3.48 ₲20.3K
-13.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$1.04 ₲6,043
73.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$0.60 ₲3,478
135.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$1.50 ₲8,709
112.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$1.32 ₲7,686
335.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$1.17 ₲6,806
29.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$1.31 ₲7,635
81.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$1.36 ₲7,941
30.15%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$2.12 ₲12.3K
36.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$9.21 ₲53.6K
10.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$4.07 ₲23.7K
142.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$10.25 ₲59.6K
36.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$3.08 ₲17.9K
28.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$1.18 ₲6,882
31.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$1.23 ₲7,152
77.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$2.42 ₲14.1K
-9.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$1.36 ₲7,891
44.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$0.78 ₲4,544
103.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$0.83 ₲4,852
38.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.70 ₲4,096
77.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$1.23 ₲7,131
221.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$9.22 ₲53.6K
48.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$0.64 ₲3,703
159.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$1.74 ₲10.1K
29.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$1.45 ₲8,446
-12.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$1.53 ₲8,913
33.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$5.31 ₲30.9K
61.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.29 ₲7,479
4.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$17.2K ₲100.3M
97.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$30.2K ₲175.8M
14.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$31.17 ₲181.3K
444.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$17.54 ₲102.1K
-22.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$22.03 ₲128.1K
27.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$34.16 ₲198.7K
27.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$3.42 ₲19.9K
402.63%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$8.63 ₲50.2K
-19.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$42.77 ₲248.9K
1762.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$5,861 ₲34.1M
55.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$65.0 ₲378.0K
30.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$56.4 ₲328.1K
2.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$107 ₲621.5K
26.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$71.5 ₲415.8K
36.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$395 ₲2.3M
62.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$262 ₲1.5M
674.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$207 ₲1.2M
389.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Villarrica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$558 ₲3.2M
17.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
10.5
4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Villarrica: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Villarrica
$395 38.5% $247
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Villarrica
$200 32.8% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Villarrica
$71 66.5% $141
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Villarrica
$134 20.9% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Villarrica
$135 20.2% $34
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Villarrica
$9.1 * 90.3% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Villarrica
$51 10.6% $6.1

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 18% 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 $21 in Villarrica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $200 – making Villarrica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇾 Villarrica
🕒 Local time
02:35 2:35 AM
04:35 4:35 AM
2 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
73,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5,818 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.72 USD). 1 EUR = 6,492 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.54 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Villarrica 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Villarrica

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 Villarrica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Villarrica cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,492 in Villarrica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Villarrica?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $21 in Villarrica. 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 Villarrica?
Groceries cost about 49% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Medellin or in Villarrica?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $994 in Villarrica. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Villarrica?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $994 in Villarrica to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Villarrica. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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