Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yaguajay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yaguajay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,225 in Yaguajay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,696 in Yaguajay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,166 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Medellin costs about 37% more than Yaguajay, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Yaguajay is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.94 CUP 143

35.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$18.02 CUP 433

165.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.02 CUP 168

40.88%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.29 CUP 30.87

142.64%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.24 CUP 29.69

54.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.09 CUP 26.16

38.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.47 CUP 35.31

112.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.79 CUP 42.98

221.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.96 CUP 71.1

-51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.81 CUP 19.51

207.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.38 CUP 57.1

-25.63%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.93 CUP 70.3

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.54 CUP 133

81.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.32 CUP 128

90.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.94 CUP 286

19.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$4.86 CUP 117

-14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.13 CUP 27.03

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.27 CUP 30.37

77.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.38 CUP 33.02

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.83 CUP 43.91

11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.80 CUP 67.3

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.97 CUP 23.30

20.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.13 CUP 27.06

15.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.40 CUP 81.7

14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.87 CUP 237

41.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.80 CUP 43.13

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.94 CUP 46.49

47.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.18 CUP 4.28

577.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$19.60 CUP 471

310.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.02 CUP 48.56

-35.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.41 CUP 9.89

434.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$19.77 CUP 474

-55.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.28 CUP 30.69

7.03%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$67.7K CUP 1.6M

-58.90%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$76.3K CUP 1.8M

-53.11%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$34.93 CUP 838

407.59%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$39.81 CUP 955

-65.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$251 CUP 6,028

-88.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$39.76 CUP 954

12.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$15.21 CUP 365

12.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$1.02 CUP 24.40

551.96%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$114 CUP 2,741

611.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$11.0K CUP 262.9K

-16.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$39.85 CUP 957

124.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$29.69 CUP 713

98.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$74.1 CUP 1,778

86.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$79.1 CUP 1,898

29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$369 CUP 8,858

187.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$378 CUP 9,073

75.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,040 CUP 25.0K

81.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$609 CUP 14.6K

68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$391 CUP 9,376

970.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$346 CUP 8,314

383.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$53.9 CUP 1,293

1157.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.33

31.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Yaguajay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $369 in Yaguajay. 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 1158% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Yaguajay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $242 – making Yaguajay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Yaguajay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,837 in Yaguajay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaguajay, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Yaguajay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,225 in Yaguajay. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yaguajay, where all-in costs run around $1,225, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Yaguajay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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