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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $844 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,336 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,828 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Medellin costs about 103% more than Aracatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Aracatuba is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$5.75 R$29.48

39.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.0K

$30.26 R$155

59.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.6K

$7.26 R$37.18

34.57%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,107

$1.88 R$9.61

54.79%

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

$1.94 COP 6,082

$1.22 R$6.27

59.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,760

$0.74 R$3.81

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,676

$1.93 R$9.92

60.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.0K

$2.93 R$15.01

95.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,267

$1.04 R$5.31

30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,470

$1.83 R$9.37

30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,321

$1.35 R$6.92

25.93%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,979

$2.00 R$10.24

43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$9.36 R$47.97

6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$3.70 R$18.96

191.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.1K

$7.85 R$40.22

87.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.94 R$9.96

110.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,917

$1.34 R$6.89

17.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,651

$1.04 R$5.31

104.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,926

$1.52 R$7.81

45.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,404

$1.08 R$5.55

89.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,706

$1.09 R$5.59

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,723

$0.85 R$4.37

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,623

$0.72 R$3.71

61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.59 R$13.30

50.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.2K

$8.86 R$45.42

62.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,955

$1.35 R$6.92

17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,847

$1.94 R$9.95

45.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,655

$0.98 R$5.02

19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

$39.03 R$200

99.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,019

$1.12 R$5.75

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,546

$0.96 R$4.91

117.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.0K

$8.36 R$42.86

3.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,061

$1.20 R$6.12

8.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.5M

$24.0K R$123.0K

15.23%

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

$35.5K COP 111.1M

$28.7K R$147.2K

23.62%

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

$176 COP 550.9K

$73.7 R$378

138.80%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$13.67 R$70.1

-2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.5K

$18.72 R$95.9

59.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.0K

$27.84 R$143

60.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

$24.41 R$125

-30.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.77 R$34.72

-8.42%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$320 R$1,640

147.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,895 R$35.3K

30.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.8K

$48.14 R$247

77.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.9K

$53.7 R$275

8.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 426.4K

$82.4 R$423

65.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.6K

$74.7 R$383

38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$320 R$1,638

231.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$260 R$1,332

161.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$638 R$3,269

215.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$511 R$2,619

128.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,516 R$7,770

171.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,154 R$5,915

47.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$374 R$1,916

77.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.12

-1.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Aracatuba: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $320 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 78% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Aracatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $188 – 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: $1,716 in Medellin, $844 in Aracatuba – roughly 103% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,266 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 $793 per month in Medellin and $320 in Aracatuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% 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 $844, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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 $844 in Aracatuba to $1,716 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.