Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacareí and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacareí and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $781 in Jacareí versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,270 in Jacareí versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,759 in Jacareí versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Jacareí costs roughly 24% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 R$30.38

$5.92 COP 21.2K

3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.77 R$163

$33.17 COP 118.7K

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 R$34.22

$7.25 COP 25.9K

-4.97%

Cappuccino

$1.82 R$9.02

$1.71 COP 6,137

6.43%

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

$1.36 R$6.78

$1.09 COP 3,915

24.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.12

$0.77 COP 2,743

7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.71

$1.75 COP 6,254

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$13.66

$3.18 COP 11.4K

-13.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.65

$1.06 COP 3,792

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$7.43

$1.30 COP 4,657

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.93

$1.38 COP 4,926

-13.77%

Eggs

$2.31 R$11.50

$2.21 COP 7,908

4.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 R$41.07

$4.52 COP 16.2K

82.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 R$19.36

$5.80 COP 20.7K

-32.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.30 R$41.26

$8.97 COP 32.1K

-7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.30

$2.29 COP 8,182

-9.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.59

$1.06 COP 3,791

63.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.82

$1.51 COP 5,411

-9.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R$7.88

$1.36 COP 4,869

16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.31

$1.16 COP 4,146

9.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.39

$1.17 COP 4,174

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 R$4.00

$0.83 COP 2,960

-3.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.19

$0.85 COP 3,043

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 R$9.15

$2.35 COP 8,423

-21.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 R$38.05

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.46

$1.15 COP 4,133

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R$9.86

$2.47 COP 8,853

-19.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.62

$0.79 COP 2,827

17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.12 R$189

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 R$4.25

$1.44 COP 5,140

-40.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R$3.11

$1.90 COP 6,793

-66.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 R$37.61

$7.70 COP 27.6K

-1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.27

$1.03 COP 3,680

2.91%

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

$22.6K R$112.3K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

27.78%

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

$28.3K R$140.7K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

4.77%

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

$46.62 R$232

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-42.74%

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

$14.82 R$73.7

$9.42 COP 33.7K

57.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.42 R$111

$23.77 COP 85.1K

-5.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.14 R$110

$25.86 COP 92.6K

-14.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.65 R$108

$19.34 COP 69.2K

11.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.48 R$27.21

$4.05 COP 14.5K

35.31%

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

$312 R$1,549

$312 COP 1.1M

-0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,928 R$34.4K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

14.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 R$276

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-5.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 R$257

$32.82 COP 117.5K

57.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$373

$100 COP 359.6K

-25.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 R$355

$106 COP 380.3K

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,586

$490 COP 1.8M

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 R$1,061

$371 COP 1.3M

-42.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 R$2,845

$838 COP 3.0M

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,151

$715 COP 2.6M

-39.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,849 R$9,189

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-37.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,275 R$6,337

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-8.53%

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 Jacareí: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Jacareí and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Jacareí vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $190 per month, with Jacareí 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

Jacareí vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,172 in Jacareí 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: $319 in Jacareí versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Jacareí 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 2% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $781 in Jacareí versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $781 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jacareí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.