Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Araraquara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Araraquara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $620 in Araraquara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,030 in Araraquara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,440 in Araraquara.

Living in Medellin is roughly 67% more expensive than Araraquara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Araraquara 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$5.06 R$25.20

17.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$21.33 R$106

53.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$6.15 R$30.64

17.07%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$1.86 R$9.27

-8.60%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.99 R$4.93

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.75 R$3.75

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$1.76 R$8.76

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$3.41 R$16.97

-9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$0.86 R$4.26

23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.14 R$5.66

9.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.26 R$6.29

10.32%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.18 R$10.85

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$6.10 R$30.40

-29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$2.99 R$14.89

95.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$5.51 R$27.44

60.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$1.24 R$6.16

80.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$0.80 R$3.97

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$0.87 R$4.31

75.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$1.13 R$5.64

21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$0.80 R$4.00

41.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$0.70 R$3.51

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$0.55 R$2.76

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.62 R$3.09

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$1.76 R$8.75

32.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$5.28 R$26.28

110.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$0.89 R$4.42

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$1.40 R$6.98

69.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.94 R$4.69

-15.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$39.22 R$195

4.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$0.88 R$4.38

63.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$0.90 R$4.49

112.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$8.57 R$42.69

-6.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.05 R$5.24

-10.48%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$20.6K R$102.7K

-13.09%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$21.6K R$107.8K

23.77%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$47.20 R$235

77.88%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$9.20 R$45.83

4.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$16.50 R$82.2

46.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$23.60 R$118

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$21.92 R$109

-13.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$3.50 R$17.43

12.00%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$316 R$1,573

-3.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$6,862 R$34.2K

-13.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$42.51 R$212

36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$38.46 R$192

-17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$83.9 R$418

19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$50.3 R$250

113.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$201 R$1,000

142.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$133 R$663

176.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$450 R$2,242

83.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$319 R$1,589

124.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,414 R$7,042

106.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$470 R$2,339

16.15%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Araraquara: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $201 in Araraquara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 16% 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 Araraquara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $135 per month, with Araraquara 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 Araraquara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Araraquara differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $620 including rent). Araraquara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 16% 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 $201 in Araraquara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Araraquara – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $620 in Araraquara versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Araraquara but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Araraquara 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 Araraquara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.