Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caraguatatuba and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Caraguatatuba $843
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,363 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Caraguatatuba $1,363
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Caraguatatuba versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Caraguatatuba $1,883
Medellin $3,190

Living in Caraguatatuba costs roughly 48% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caraguatatuba is 38% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 R$39.04

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-2.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 R$149

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-36.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 R$46.80

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-2.84%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R$11.99

$3.11 COP 9,866

-23.79%

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

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.83 COP 5,800

-32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.48

$1.38 COP 4,360

-36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.96

$3.05 COP 9,672

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.60

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-40.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.45 COP 4,600

-31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.17

$2.36 COP 7,496

-31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.68 COP 5,328

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.96

$2.86 COP 9,077

-31.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 R$29.84

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-42.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 R$16.82

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-65.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 R$40.47

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-43.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.89

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-47.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.46

$1.50 COP 4,742

11.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$2.17 COP 6,891

-32.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.31 COP 7,310

-38.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.45

$1.93 COP 6,113

-34.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.13

$1.64 COP 5,196

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.60

$1.13 COP 3,571

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.99

$1.25 COP 3,954

-36.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 R$10.96

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-45.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 R$35.46

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R$7.58

$1.70 COP 5,384

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$13.11

$2.37 COP 7,525

9.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.96

$1.21 COP 3,827

-19.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.55 R$119

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-69.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$5.89

$1.32 COP 4,179

-12.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.70

$2.14 COP 6,774

-65.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 R$17.85

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-58.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.59

$1.30 COP 4,114

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

$15.7K R$79.3K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-44.08%

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

$29.5K R$149.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-16.67%

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

$66.3 R$336

$172 COP 545.6K

-61.47%

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

$13.05 R$66.2

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 R$114

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.64 R$110

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-52.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 R$82.6

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-4.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 R$41.40

$6.28 COP 19.9K

30.10%

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

$223 R$1,130

$770 COP 2.4M

-71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,271 R$21.7K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-52.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 R$293

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-33.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 R$287

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 R$397

$137 COP 432.9K

-42.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 R$300

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 R$2,110

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-60.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,201

$616 COP 2.0M

-61.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 R$4,453

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-53.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,648

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-48.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,681 R$8,523

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-58.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 R$6,170

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-27.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 R$1,704

$652 COP 2.1M

-48.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.15

10.94

-25.50%

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

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 160% $379

Groceries & Markets

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 67.5% $119

Eating Out

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 16.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 50% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 110% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 52.3% $20

Getting Around

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 189% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Caraguatatuba and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 94% 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: $29.00 in Caraguatatuba vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $295 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

00:42 12:42 AM

2 h behind Caraguatatuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,873

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Caraguatatuba Medellin 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Caraguatatuba
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

Caraguatatuba vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 94% 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: $416 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.