Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yaguajay

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaguajay: $1,207 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Yaguajay
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Yaguajay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Yaguajay

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yaguajay

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,207 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Yaguajay $1,207

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,697 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Yaguajay $1,697

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,186 in Yaguajay, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Yaguajay $2,186

Medellin costs about 36% more than Yaguajay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Yaguajay is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.84 CUP 140

38.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$18.10 CUP 434

159.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.86 CUP 165

38.48%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.28 CUP 30.69

135.16%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.23 CUP 29.50

46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.11 CUP 26.69

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.53 CUP 36.70

107.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.71 CUP 41.08

236.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.95 CUP 70.9

-48.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.78 CUP 18.70

205.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.46 CUP 59.1

-28.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.49 CUP 132

85.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.34 CUP 128

84.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.95 CUP 287

17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.77 CUP 114

-16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.13 CUP 27.02

37.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.28 CUP 30.62

70.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.33 CUP 31.83

63.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.78 CUP 42.63

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.78 CUP 66.6

-42.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.01 CUP 24.27

13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.08 CUP 26.03

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.40 CUP 81.7

16.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.03 CUP 241

36.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.77 CUP 42.58

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.00 CUP 47.90

13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.20 CUP 4.92

485.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$20.36 CUP 489

280.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.97 CUP 47.20

-35.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.42 CUP 10.03

388.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$19.82 CUP 476

-56.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.29 CUP 30.90

4.65%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$68.2K CUP 1.6M

-50.04%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$74.6K CUP 1.8M

-53.50%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$35.59 CUP 854

376.68%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$39.46 CUP 947

-65.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$245 CUP 5,891

-88.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$39.83 CUP 956

9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$14.95 CUP 359

14.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$0.99 CUP 23.69

597.98%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$116 CUP 2,775

588.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$11.4K CUP 272.8K

-19.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$40.73 CUP 977

108.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$30.58 CUP 734

89.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$75.0 CUP 1,799

80.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$78.6 CUP 1,885

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$370 CUP 8,875

226.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$374 CUP 8,974

71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,011 CUP 24.3K

100.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$595 CUP 14.3K

70.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$389 CUP 9,332

972.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$341 CUP 8,182

460.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$52.4 CUP 1,259

1153.13%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yaguajay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Yaguajay

$374 31% 41.7% $268

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Yaguajay

$242 20% 18.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Yaguajay

$321 26.5% 51.7% $109

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Yaguajay

$103 8.5% 39.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Yaguajay

$101 8.4% 40.1% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Yaguajay

$25 2.1% 73% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Yaguajay

$42 3.5% 27.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $370 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 in Medellin are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Yaguajay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $242 – making Yaguajay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇺 Yaguajay

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

13,827

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, 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).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.78 CUP (100 CUP = 3.73 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Yaguajay 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Yaguajay

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 Yaguajay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,811 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $370 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $1,207 in Yaguajay. That makes Yaguajay about 26% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,207 in Yaguajay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.