Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $634 in Aracaju versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $987 in Aracaju versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,340 in Aracaju versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Aracaju costs roughly 37% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aracaju 52% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 R$25.30

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.20 R$108

$32.96 COP 103.9K

-35.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 R$27.57

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-26.92%

Cappuccino

$1.55 R$7.87

$1.65 COP 5,211

-6.06%

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

$0.96 R$4.88

$1.10 COP 3,471

-12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.78 COP 2,460

-26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.72 COP 5,416

5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.01

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-19.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.71

$1.10 COP 3,477

-15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.26 COP 3,965

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.99

$1.38 COP 4,353

-28.99%

Eggs

$1.50 R$7.59

$2.18 COP 6,864

-31.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 R$33.40

$4.49 COP 14.2K

46.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 R$17.27

$5.79 COP 18.3K

-41.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 R$32.25

$8.97 COP 28.3K

-29.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.25

$2.32 COP 7,314

-29.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.85

$1.06 COP 3,355

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.26

$1.52 COP 4,778

-57.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.70

$1.36 COP 4,273

-31.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.74

$1.13 COP 3,555

-17.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.17 COP 3,692

-24.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.34

$0.90 COP 2,840

-48.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.90 COP 2,826

-31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 R$10.12

$2.23 COP 7,039

-10.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 R$29.48

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-52.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.62

$1.19 COP 3,746

9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R$9.26

$2.48 COP 7,822

-26.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.29

$0.85 COP 2,690

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.78 R$192

$41.62 COP 131.1K

-9.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.42 COP 4,462

-26.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.95 COP 6,146

-44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 R$31.61

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-21.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.99 COP 3,121

5.05%

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

$18.1K R$91.7K

$17.6K COP 55.5M

2.67%

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

$26.9K R$136.7K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

0.49%

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

$68.0 R$345

$83.0 COP 261.6K

-18.07%

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

$14.24 R$72.3

$9.70 COP 30.6K

46.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 R$79.6

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-33.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.98 R$96.3

$25.26 COP 79.6K

-24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 R$126

$19.10 COP 60.2K

29.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 R$29.01

$3.95 COP 12.4K

44.81%

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

$170 R$862

$316 COP 995.1K

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,821 R$24.5K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-19.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 R$269

$60.0 COP 189.1K

-11.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.89 R$152

$31.82 COP 100.3K

-6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$348

$102 COP 320.4K

-32.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 R$392

$107 COP 338.6K

-28.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 R$918

$475 COP 1.5M

-61.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 R$597

$374 COP 1.2M

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 R$3,091

$849 COP 2.7M

-28.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 R$1,065

$719 COP 2.3M

-70.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,289 R$6,540

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-60.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 R$4,567

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-37.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 R$2,238

$624 COP 2.0M

-29.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.35

13.43

-22.93%

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

Last update for Aracaju: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Aracaju and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $21.00 in Aracaju vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $146 vs $193 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

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

Aracaju vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aracaju and Medellin differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($634 vs $1,003 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $181 in Aracaju versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $170 in Aracaju versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $634 in Aracaju versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.