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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,116 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,509 in Aracaju.

Living in Medellin is roughly 132% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Aracaju is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$4.73 R$24.31

69.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$23.49 R$121

103.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.01 R$30.89

64.56%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$1.76 R$9.06

77.84%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.13 R$5.82

69.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.59 R$3.04

155.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.96 R$10.10

59.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.74 R$14.08

109.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.02 R$5.26

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.49 R$7.68

67.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.20 R$6.15

47.50%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.68 R$8.65

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.51 R$38.62

34.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.65 R$18.79

177.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.97 R$35.82

105.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.04 R$10.48

102.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.24 R$6.36

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$0.65 R$3.34

246.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.04 R$5.34

116.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.98 R$5.05

108.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.93 R$4.81

65.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.54 R$2.80

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.69 R$3.52

89.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.30 R$11.84

69.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$5.88 R$30.26

138.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.26 R$6.46

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.05 R$10.53

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.90 R$4.65

35.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$41.89 R$215

92.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.57 R$8.09

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.18 R$6.08

85.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$6.71 R$34.49

29.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.28 R$6.59

7.03%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$23.6K R$121.2K

18.11%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$32.8K R$168.9K

8.90%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$93.7 R$482

89.30%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$9.65 R$49.63

43.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$16.63 R$85.5

78.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$21.73 R$112

106.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$26.42 R$136

-35.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$6.37 R$32.76

4.40%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$176 R$907

360.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$5,177 R$26.6K

77.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$55.6 R$286

61.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$33.97 R$175

73.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$84.4 R$434

63.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$81.3 R$418

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$295 R$1,516

260.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$138 R$712

378.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$614 R$3,158

207.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$273 R$1,401

276.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,254 R$6,447

233.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$875 R$4,499

91.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$450 R$2,312

50.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $295 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 51% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $161 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 132% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $723 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $295 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $176 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $1,681 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 132% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.