Cost of Living Comparison Between Joao Pessoa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Joao Pessoa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $858 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,349 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,841 in Joao Pessoa versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Joao Pessoa costs roughly 15% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Joao Pessoa 36% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 R$27.72

$5.99 COP 21.5K

-10.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.48 R$142

$32.86 COP 118.1K

-16.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 R$32.04

$7.09 COP 25.5K

-12.27%

Cappuccino

$1.66 R$8.55

$1.71 COP 6,154

-2.92%

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

$1.00 R$5.16

$1.10 COP 3,949

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.11

$0.78 COP 2,798

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.33

$1.68 COP 6,035

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 R$16.32

$3.07 COP 11.0K

3.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.03

$1.09 COP 3,930

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.90

$1.26 COP 4,536

21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.75

$1.38 COP 4,953

-5.07%

Eggs

$2.56 R$13.18

$2.19 COP 7,876

16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 R$32.28

$4.40 COP 15.8K

42.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 R$20.70

$5.63 COP 20.2K

-28.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 R$33.91

$8.89 COP 32.0K

-25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$13.36

$2.34 COP 8,401

10.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 R$4.34

$1.06 COP 3,801

-20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 R$4.37

$1.50 COP 5,408

-43.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.34

$1.38 COP 4,955

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.16

$1.15 COP 4,137

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.54

$1.16 COP 4,181

-24.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 R$3.12

$0.89 COP 3,202

-31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.19

$0.84 COP 3,016

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 R$14.31

$2.28 COP 8,196

21.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 R$46.19

$10.64 COP 38.2K

-15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 R$7.42

$1.20 COP 4,311

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 R$14.80

$2.47 COP 8,880

16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.86 COP 3,075

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 R$319

$41.40 COP 148.8K

49.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.35

$1.47 COP 5,297

23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R$3.23

$1.96 COP 7,053

-67.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 R$15.24

$7.74 COP 27.8K

-61.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.61

$0.95 COP 3,430

14.74%

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

$18.7K R$96.6K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

3.41%

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

$28.8K R$148.2K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

8.62%

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

$75.9 R$391

$82.3 COP 295.6K

-7.71%

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

$21.74 R$112

$9.50 COP 34.1K

128.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.58 R$101

$24.23 COP 87.1K

-19.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.45 R$147

$25.89 COP 93.0K

9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 R$139

$19.00 COP 68.3K

41.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 R$37.73

$3.93 COP 14.1K

86.26%

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

$319 R$1,646

$309 COP 1.1M

3.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,287 R$32.4K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

5.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.68 R$215

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-28.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 R$287

$32.35 COP 116.2K

72.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R$579

$103 COP 368.7K

9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 R$361

$108 COP 389.6K

-35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,122

$476 COP 1.7M

-54.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 R$1,126

$379 COP 1.4M

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,544

$838 COP 3.0M

-41.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,201

$724 COP 2.6M

-40.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 R$12.7K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-11.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 R$6,188

$1,211 COP 4.4M

-0.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 R$2,600

$512 COP 1.8M

-1.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-25.54%

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

Last update for Joao Pessoa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Joao Pessoa and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1% 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: $27.00 in Joao Pessoa vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $188 per month, with Joao Pessoa 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

Joao Pessoa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Joao Pessoa and Medellin differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($858 vs $1,013 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 1% less. 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: $218 in Joao Pessoa versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Joao Pessoa versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Joao Pessoa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Joao Pessoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Joao Pessoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.