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: $638 in Aracaju versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,009 in Aracaju versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,379 in Aracaju versus $2,188 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 53% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 R$25.00

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-16.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.51 R$109

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-35.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 R$27.58

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-24.62%

Cappuccino

$1.61 R$8.17

$1.63 COP 5,687

-1.23%

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

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.09 COP 3,821

-13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.85

$0.73 COP 2,548

-23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.85

$1.74 COP 6,065

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R$13.06

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.05 COP 3,662

-10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R$6.35

$1.29 COP 4,515

-2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.19

$1.32 COP 4,617

-21.97%

Eggs

$1.55 R$7.83

$2.27 COP 7,927

-31.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.66 R$33.70

$4.35 COP 15.2K

53.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 R$17.23

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-42.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.55 R$33.17

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-23.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.47

$2.25 COP 7,844

-25.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.07 COP 3,733

2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 R$3.33

$1.52 COP 5,322

-56.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.05

$1.42 COP 4,964

-29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.61

$1.17 COP 4,084

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.37

$1.17 COP 4,077

-26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 R$2.52

$0.89 COP 3,096

-43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.90 COP 3,146

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 R$9.83

$2.25 COP 7,837

-13.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 R$28.91

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.14 COP 3,977

11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 R$9.65

$2.38 COP 8,301

-19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 R$4.21

$0.84 COP 2,916

-1.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.86 R$192

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-9.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.41 COP 4,912

-22.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 R$5.69

$1.90 COP 6,634

-41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 R$30.67

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-21.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.16

$1.01 COP 3,509

0.99%

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

$17.7K R$89.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

0.91%

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

$26.8K R$135.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

1.11%

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

$66.7 R$337

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-20.35%

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

$13.78 R$69.7

$9.45 COP 33.0K

45.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.61 R$79.0

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-35.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.82 R$95.3

$25.31 COP 88.3K

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.03 R$122

$19.14 COP 66.8K

25.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 R$28.34

$4.10 COP 14.3K

36.59%

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

$166 R$843

$312 COP 1.1M

-46.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,806 R$24.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-19.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 R$267

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 R$151

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 R$348

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R$398

$109 COP 378.8K

-27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 R$918

$482 COP 1.7M

-62.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 R$602

$379 COP 1.3M

-68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 R$3,016

$837 COP 2.9M

-28.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 R$1,085

$723 COP 2.5M

-70.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,232 R$6,239

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-56.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$858 R$4,343

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-29.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 R$2,210

$541 COP 1.9M

-19.29%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Aracaju and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 24% 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: $22.00 in Aracaju vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $146 vs $190 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 59% in total monthly costs ($638 vs $1,017 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 24% less. 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 $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Aracaju versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $638 in Aracaju versus $1,017 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 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.