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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $640 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,001 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,362 in Aracaju.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.92 R$24.57

20.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$21.87 R$109

49.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.55 R$27.68

29.73%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.61 R$8.02

5.59%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.02 R$5.07

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.60 R$3.00

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.82 R$9.08

-8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.62 R$13.08

18.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.93 R$4.65

13.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.25 R$6.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.04 R$5.17

33.65%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.57 R$7.85

43.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.83 R$34.09

-36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.39 R$16.89

72.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.42 R$32.02

37.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.63 R$8.14

37.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.14 R$5.67

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.61 R$3.02

150.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.92 R$4.60

48.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.88 R$4.38

28.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.82 R$4.08

36.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.49 R$2.47

73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.62 R$3.09

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.04 R$10.16

14.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.03 R$30.09

84.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.28 R$6.36

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.84 R$9.18

28.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.80 R$3.99

-1.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$38.84 R$194

5.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.03 R$5.15

39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.14 R$5.69

67.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.18 R$30.84

29.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.08 R$5.39

-12.96%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$18.0K R$89.8K

-0.42%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$26.3K R$131.2K

1.89%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$66.5 R$332

26.27%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.88 R$69.2

-30.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$15.34 R$76.6

57.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$18.76 R$93.6

37.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$23.92 R$119

-20.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.90 R$29.43

-33.56%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$166 R$827

84.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,806 R$24.0K

23.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$51.6 R$257

12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$30.07 R$150

5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$68.4 R$341

46.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$78.5 R$392

36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$181 R$901

169.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$118 R$589

212.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$610 R$3,045

35.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$215 R$1,072

233.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,298 R$6,475

125.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$903 R$4,506

55.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$460 R$2,297

18.49%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 18% 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 $147 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $640 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 18% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 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 29% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $640 in Aracaju versus $1,034 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 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.