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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $634 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $987 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,340 in Aracaju.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$4.99 R$25.30

18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.9K

$21.20 R$108

55.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$5.43 R$27.57

36.83%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,211

$1.55 R$7.87

6.45%

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

$1.10 COP 3,471

$0.96 R$4.88

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,460

$0.57 R$2.88

36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,416

$1.81 R$9.19

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.56 R$13.01

24.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,477

$0.93 R$4.71

18.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,965

$1.26 R$6.40

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,353

$0.98 R$4.99

40.82%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,864

$1.50 R$7.59

45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.2K

$6.58 R$33.40

-31.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.3K

$3.40 R$17.27

70.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.3K

$6.36 R$32.25

41.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,314

$1.63 R$8.25

42.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,355

$1.15 R$5.85

-7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,778

$0.64 R$3.26

137.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,273

$0.93 R$4.70

46.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,555

$0.93 R$4.74

21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,692

$0.88 R$4.47

32.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,840

$0.46 R$2.34

95.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,826

$0.62 R$3.13

45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,039

$1.99 R$10.12

12.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$5.81 R$29.48

108.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,746

$1.30 R$6.62

-8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,822

$1.82 R$9.26

36.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,690

$0.85 R$4.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.1K

$37.78 R$192

10.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,462

$1.04 R$5.26

36.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,146

$1.08 R$5.49

80.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.23 R$31.61

26.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,121

$1.04 R$5.26

-4.81%

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

$17.6K COP 55.5M

$18.1K R$91.7K

-2.60%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$26.9K R$136.7K

-0.49%

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

$83.0 COP 261.6K

$68.0 R$345

22.06%

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

$9.70 COP 30.6K

$14.24 R$72.3

-31.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$15.69 R$79.6

49.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.6K

$18.98 R$96.3

33.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.2K

$24.76 R$126

-22.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$5.72 R$29.01

-30.94%

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

$316 COP 995.1K

$170 R$862

85.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$4,821 R$24.5K

23.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 189.1K

$52.9 R$269

13.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.3K

$29.89 R$152

6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.4K

$68.6 R$348

48.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.6K

$77.3 R$392

38.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$181 R$918

162.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$118 R$597

217.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$609 R$3,091

39.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$210 R$1,065

242.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,289 R$6,540

153.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$900 R$4,567

60.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$441 R$2,238

41.61%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 42% 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 $21.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $634 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $170 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $634 in Aracaju versus $1,003 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 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.