Cost of Living Comparison Between Imbituba and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Imbituba and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Imbituba versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Imbituba versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,669 in Imbituba versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Imbituba costs roughly 25% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Imbituba 42% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 R$26.51

$5.92 COP 21.2K

-9.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.14 R$135

$33.17 COP 118.7K

-18.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$30.77

$7.25 COP 25.9K

-14.62%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$8.82

$1.71 COP 6,137

4.09%

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

$1.13 R$5.59

$1.09 COP 3,915

3.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.02

$0.77 COP 2,743

-20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$8.85

$1.75 COP 6,254

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 R$13.03

$3.18 COP 11.4K

-17.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$4.96

$1.06 COP 3,792

-5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.51

$1.30 COP 4,657

16.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.63

$1.38 COP 4,926

-18.12%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.64

$2.21 COP 7,908

-12.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R$40.88

$4.52 COP 16.2K

81.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 R$18.46

$5.80 COP 20.7K

-36.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 R$35.56

$8.97 COP 32.1K

-20.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.29

$2.29 COP 8,182

-9.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.45

$1.06 COP 3,791

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.76

$1.51 COP 5,411

-23.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.42

$1.36 COP 4,869

9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$5.96

$1.16 COP 4,146

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.30

$1.17 COP 4,174

-8.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.69

$0.83 COP 2,960

-10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.24

$0.85 COP 3,043

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 R$10.81

$2.35 COP 8,423

-7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 R$40.51

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.15 COP 4,133

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$9.91

$2.47 COP 8,853

-19.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.62

$0.79 COP 2,827

17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.96 R$194

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-6.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.51

$1.44 COP 5,140

-22.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.48

$1.90 COP 6,793

-63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 R$32.11

$7.70 COP 27.6K

-16.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.21

$1.03 COP 3,680

1.94%

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

$20.4K R$101.3K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

15.29%

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

$27.7K R$137.8K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

2.63%

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

$60.7 R$302

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-25.49%

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

$13.63 R$67.7

$9.42 COP 33.7K

44.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.12 R$95.0

$23.77 COP 85.1K

-19.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.77 R$113

$25.86 COP 92.6K

-11.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.32 R$106

$19.34 COP 69.2K

10.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 R$31.75

$4.05 COP 14.5K

57.78%

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

$266 R$1,320

$312 COP 1.1M

-15.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,374 R$31.7K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

5.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 R$245

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-16.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.30 R$205

$32.82 COP 117.5K

25.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 R$378

$100 COP 359.6K

-24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$317

$106 COP 380.3K

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 R$1,540

$490 COP 1.8M

-36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 R$1,053

$371 COP 1.3M

-42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 R$2,891

$838 COP 3.0M

-30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R$2,105

$715 COP 2.6M

-40.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 R$8,345

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-43.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 R$6,027

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

13.43

-18.69%

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

Last update for Imbituba: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Imbituba and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Imbituba vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $190 per month, with Imbituba 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

Imbituba vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,165 in Imbituba and $1,544 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Imbituba versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Imbituba versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba 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 Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.