Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Araras and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Araras: $831 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Araras, Brazil
Medellin, Colombia
Araras
🇧🇷 Brazil
$831
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Araras and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Araras and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $831 per month in Araras vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Araras $831
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,358 per month in Araras vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Araras $1,358
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,884 per month in Araras vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Araras $1,884
  • Medellin $3,249

Araras is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Araras sits 39% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.27 R$28.94
$8.34 COP 27.0K
-36.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.99 R$203
$46.53 COP 150.9K
-20.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.21 R$45.06
$9.47 COP 30.7K
-13.31%
Cappuccino
$2.05 R$11.26
$3.13 COP 10.2K
-34.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 R$8.66
$1.77 COP 5,728
-10.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 R$6.20
$1.42 COP 4,620
-20.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 R$12.00
$3.15 COP 10.2K
-30.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 R$22.04
$5.70 COP 18.5K
-29.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 R$5.23
$1.53 COP 4,971
-37.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 R$8.23
$2.29 COP 7,431
-34.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.72 R$3.95
$1.94 COP 6,308
-62.89%
Eggs
$1.89 R$10.38
$3.07 COP 9,945
-38.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.57 R$47.02
$9.99 COP 32.4K
-14.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.11 R$22.55
$10.45 COP 33.9K
-60.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.99 R$54.8
$13.96 COP 45.3K
-28.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 R$12.34
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-44.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.17 R$6.40
$1.53 COP 4,957
-23.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.70 R$3.86
$2.10 COP 6,825
-66.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.77 R$9.69
$2.29 COP 7,439
-22.71%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 R$4.12
$2.11 COP 6,841
-64.45%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 R$3.72
$1.71 COP 5,543
-60.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 R$4.95
$1.17 COP 3,795
-23.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 R$2.48
$1.58 COP 5,125
-71.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.54 R$13.95
$3.91 COP 12.7K
-35.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.16 R$44.76
$14.04 COP 45.6K
-41.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 R$3.42
$1.76 COP 5,714
-64.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 R$11.95
$2.71 COP 8,796
-19.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Araras
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 R$5.12
$1.18 COP 3,826
-21.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.62 R$234
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-44.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 R$6.61
$1.81 COP 5,860
-33.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.29 R$7.06
$2.13 COP 6,906
-39.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.00 R$49.38
$8.13 COP 26.4K
10.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 R$5.33
$1.28 COP 4,136
-24.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K R$121.8K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-35.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K R$163.9K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-12.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$37.59 R$206
$178 COP 576.4K
-78.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.23 R$72.6
$13.89 COP 45.0K
-4.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.24 R$94.6
$30.74 COP 99.7K
-43.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.43 R$233
$41.94 COP 136.0K
1.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.25 R$144
$16.80 COP 54.5K
56.25%
Cinema Ticket
$5.56 R$30.49
$7.47 COP 24.2K
-25.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$414 R$2,270
$790 COP 2.6M
-47.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,046 R$38.7K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
-42.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.0 R$280
$86.3 COP 280.0K
-40.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 R$306
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-5.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 R$490
$138 COP 448.7K
-35.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.0 R$439
$98.8 COP 320.5K
-19.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Araras
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$213 R$1,171
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-84.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$233 R$1,276
$667 COP 2.2M
-65.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$644 R$3,534
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-67.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 R$2,473
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-56.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,560 R$8,564
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-61.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,139 R$6,253
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-41.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Araras
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.12
10.94
1.65%

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

Last update for Araras: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Araras
$233
Medellin
$667 187% $435
Groceries & Markets
Araras
$177
Medellin
$307 73.2% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Araras
$124
Medellin
$172 38.7% $48
Eating Out
Araras
$121
Medellin
$173 42.4% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Araras
$68
Medellin
$222 227% $154
Getting Around
Araras
$54
Medellin
$93 73.1% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Araras
$54
Medellin
$57 6.2% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Araras versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Araras versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $307 – making Araras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Araras
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
03:02 3:02 AM
01:02 1:02 AM
2 h behind Araras
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
130,866
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Araras Medellin 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Araras
  • Medellin

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
Araras vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Araras or Medellin?
Medellin costs about 104% more than Araras, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Araras and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,247 per month in Araras and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Araras or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Araras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $213 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
How expensive is transport in Araras compared to Medellin?
Public transport costs about 44% less in Araras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Araras and in Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $414 per month in Araras and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Araras or in Medellin?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $831 in Araras and $1,692 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Araras – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Araras is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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