Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aracatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aracatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $773 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,224 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,676 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Medellin costs about 31% more than Aracatuba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Aracatuba are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Aracatuba 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.32 R$27.42

12.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$26.74 R$138

22.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$6.33 R$32.62

12.01%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.71 R$8.83

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.07 R$5.50

2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.65 R$3.36

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.76 R$9.09

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.63 R$13.56

16.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.00 R$5.13

9.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.47 R$7.57

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.19 R$6.14

15.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.02 R$10.40

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.27 R$42.59

-46.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.60 R$18.54

56.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$7.45 R$38.37

19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.15 R$11.06

8.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.32 R$6.79

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.20 R$6.18

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.45 R$7.48

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.18 R$6.08

-2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.11 R$5.70

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.69 R$3.55

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.66 R$3.42

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.18 R$11.22

4.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$8.85 R$45.60

20.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.21 R$6.26

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.04 R$10.53

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.93 R$4.80

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$38.22 R$197

8.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.05 R$5.40

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.71 R$3.68

176.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.32 R$32.55

22.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.08 R$5.58

-12.04%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$20.9K R$107.5K

-13.11%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$27.9K R$143.9K

-5.16%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$61.5 R$317

33.65%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$13.53 R$69.7

-29.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$19.21 R$99.0

26.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$22.59 R$116

14.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$21.75 R$112

-12.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.31 R$32.52

-37.72%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$274 R$1,411

12.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,498 R$33.5K

-8.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$48.29 R$249

21.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$42.87 R$221

-24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$76.5 R$394

34.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$65.0 R$335

66.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$311 R$1,603

53.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$218 R$1,121

74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$581 R$2,990

44.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$435 R$2,239

66.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,775 R$9,142

57.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,049 R$5,403

15.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$381 R$1,961

34.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aracatuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $311 in Aracatuba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $27.00 in Aracatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $178 – making Aracatuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aracatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,013 in Medellin, $773 in Aracatuba – roughly 31% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,159 in Aracatuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aracatuba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Medellin and $274 in Aracatuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Aracatuba, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Aracatuba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $773 in Aracatuba to $1,013 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Aracatuba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.