Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Willemstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,017 in Willemstad, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Willemstad
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Willemstad Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Willemstad

🇨🇼 Curacao

$2,017

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Willemstad

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $2,017 in Willemstad, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Willemstad $2,017

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $3,102 in Willemstad, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Willemstad $3,102

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $4,187 in Willemstad, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Willemstad $4,187

Medellin is about 19% cheaper than Willemstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Willemstad sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Willemstad by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$18.52 ANG 33.15

-55.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$75.2 ANG 135

-37.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$11.02 ANG 19.73

-16.15%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.63 ANG 6.50

-15.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.94 ANG 5.26

-38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.74 ANG 3.12

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$5.76 ANG 10.31

-43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$5.46 ANG 9.78

1.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.00 ANG 3.58

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.86 ANG 5.12

-17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.57 ANG 6.40

-52.38%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$4.15 ANG 7.42

-28.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$16.60 ANG 29.71

-38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$7.23 ANG 12.94

34.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.97 ANG 21.43

16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$5.44 ANG 9.74

-24.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$3.03 ANG 5.42

-49.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.33 ANG 5.96

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.82 ANG 6.83

-40.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.53 ANG 4.52

-21.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.98 ANG 3.54

-15.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.44 ANG 4.37

-51.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$2.93 ANG 5.24

-57.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$10.16 ANG 18.18

-61.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$12.32 ANG 22.05

11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.35 ANG 4.21

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.40 ANG 4.30

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.92 ANG 3.44

-35.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$22.77 ANG 40.76

-94.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.35 ANG 2.41

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$20.4K ANG 36.5K

69.96%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$272 ANG 487

-38.74%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$77.1 ANG 138

-82.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$64.6 ANG 116

-54.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$47.22 ANG 84.5

-4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$43.82 ANG 78.4

-60.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$11.92 ANG 21.33

-41.53%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$328 ANG 587

140.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$12.3K ANG 22.0K

-26.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$104 ANG 186

-15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$73.8 ANG 132

-21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$164 ANG 293

-15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$94.1 ANG 168

5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$797 ANG 1,426

29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$645 ANG 1,155

-4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,690 ANG 3,025

11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,204 ANG 2,155

-16.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$837 ANG 1,498

376.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$165 ANG 296

929.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,238 ANG 2,217

-46.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.97

120.12%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Willemstad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Willemstad

$645 32% 4.2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Willemstad

$377 18.7% 26.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Willemstad

$414 20.5% 97.6% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Willemstad

$196 9.7% 13.5% $23

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Willemstad

$283 14.1% 65.8% $112

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Willemstad

$30 * 1.5% 68% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Willemstad

$71 3.5% 20.4% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $797 in Willemstad. 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 87% higher in Willemstad, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $75.0 in Willemstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $377 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇼 Willemstad

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

140,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Willemstad 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Willemstad

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 Willemstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Willemstad is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $3,025 in Willemstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $75.0 in Willemstad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Willemstad, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Willemstad at $2,017. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Willemstad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Willemstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.