Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $638 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,009 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,379 in Aracaju.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Aracaju 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.94 R$25.00

20.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$21.51 R$109

54.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.45 R$27.58

32.66%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.61 R$8.17

1.24%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.94 R$4.77

15.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.56 R$2.85

30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.75 R$8.85

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.58 R$13.06

25.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.94 R$4.77

11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.26 R$6.35

2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.03 R$5.19

28.16%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.55 R$7.83

46.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.66 R$33.70

-34.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.40 R$17.23

72.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.55 R$33.17

31.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.67 R$8.47

34.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.10 R$5.58

-2.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.66 R$3.33

130.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.00 R$5.05

42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.91 R$4.61

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.86 R$4.37

36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.50 R$2.52

78.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.57 R$2.88

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.94 R$9.83

15.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.71 R$28.91

93.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.27 R$6.43

-10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.91 R$9.65

24.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.83 R$4.21

1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$37.86 R$192

10.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.09 R$5.51

29.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.12 R$5.69

69.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.06 R$30.67

27.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.02 R$5.16

-0.98%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$17.7K R$89.8K

-0.90%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$26.8K R$135.6K

-1.09%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$66.7 R$337

25.55%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$13.78 R$69.7

-31.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$15.61 R$79.0

54.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$18.82 R$95.3

34.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$24.03 R$122

-20.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.60 R$28.34

-26.79%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$166 R$843

87.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,806 R$24.3K

24.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$52.7 R$267

10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$29.88 R$151

8.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$68.7 R$348

45.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$78.6 R$398

38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$181 R$918

165.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$119 R$602

218.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$596 R$3,016

40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$214 R$1,085

237.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,232 R$6,239

130.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$858 R$4,343

42.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$437 R$2,210

23.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.35

29.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 24% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $146 per month, with Aracaju 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

Medellin vs Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Aracaju differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $638 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 24% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $166 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $638 in Aracaju versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.