Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarulhos and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarulhos and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $802 per month in Guarulhos vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,298 per month in Guarulhos vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,793 per month in Guarulhos vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Guarulhos is about 21% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Guarulhos and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Guarulhos 40% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 R$35.80

$5.99 COP 21.4K

19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.78 R$164

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-0.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$34.56

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$1.74 R$8.69

$1.71 COP 6,115

1.75%

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

$1.21 R$6.08

$1.10 COP 3,924

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.43

$0.78 COP 2,781

14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.69

$1.68 COP 5,997

27.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 R$14.25

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.10

$1.09 COP 3,906

-6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 R$8.76

$1.26 COP 4,508

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.75

$1.38 COP 4,922

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.40 R$12.03

$2.19 COP 7,827

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 R$51.7

$4.40 COP 15.7K

134.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 R$20.06

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-28.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 R$41.90

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-5.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R$10.73

$2.34 COP 8,349

-8.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.28

$1.06 COP 3,777

55.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 R$6.93

$1.50 COP 5,374

-7.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.40

$1.38 COP 4,924

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.87

$1.15 COP 4,111

19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.46

$1.16 COP 4,155

11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.68

$0.89 COP 3,182

4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.84 COP 2,997

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 R$10.52

$2.28 COP 8,145

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 R$49.79

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.50

$1.20 COP 4,284

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$11.11

$2.47 COP 8,824

-10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 R$5.12

$0.86 COP 3,056

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 R$190

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-8.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.47 COP 5,264

-27.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R$3.14

$1.96 COP 7,009

-67.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 R$38.68

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.31

$0.95 COP 3,409

11.58%

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

$21.5K R$107.5K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

18.44%

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

$28.1K R$140.6K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

6.08%

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

$52.3 R$262

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-36.43%

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

$13.10 R$65.6

$9.50 COP 33.9K

37.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.90 R$99.6

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.02 R$70.1

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-45.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.73 R$109

$19.00 COP 67.9K

14.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 R$35.19

$3.93 COP 14.0K

78.88%

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

$333 R$1,665

$309 COP 1.1M

7.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,817 R$44.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

47.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 R$260

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.18 R$211

$32.35 COP 115.5K

30.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 R$375

$103 COP 366.4K

-27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 R$368

$108 COP 387.2K

-32.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 R$1,585

$476 COP 1.7M

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 R$1,080

$379 COP 1.4M

-43.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 R$2,955

$838 COP 3.0M

-29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,135

$724 COP 2.6M

-41.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,938 R$9,699

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-30.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 R$6,632

$1,211 COP 4.3M

9.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$368 R$1,842

$512 COP 1.8M

-28.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

13.43

-16.83%

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

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $317 in Guarulhos versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Guarulhos versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Guarulhos vs $188 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Guarulhos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 26% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,203 per month in Guarulhos and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Guarulhos and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $802 in Guarulhos and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $802 versus $1,013 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.