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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $617 in Araraquara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,015 in Araraquara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,412 in Araraquara.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Araraquara 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$4.90 R$25.09

20.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$21.47 R$110

53.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$6.25 R$31.99

18.88%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$1.80 R$9.20

-8.33%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$1.04 R$5.33

5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.74 R$3.77

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.79 R$9.14

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$3.49 R$17.84

-8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$0.78 R$4.01

41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.19 R$6.10

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$1.29 R$6.62

6.98%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$2.23 R$11.41

-2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$6.18 R$31.61

-27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$3.00 R$15.33

93.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$5.52 R$28.27

62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$1.28 R$6.53

81.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$0.87 R$4.44

21.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$0.86 R$4.42

76.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.15 R$5.88

18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$0.76 R$3.89

48.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$0.75 R$3.84

56.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.58 R$2.99

55.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.62 R$3.17

45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$1.85 R$9.47

20.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$5.01 R$25.63

141.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$0.87 R$4.46

36.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$1.48 R$7.59

67.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$1.01 R$5.17

-15.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$38.64 R$198

7.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$0.92 R$4.69

54.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.87 R$4.45

124.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$8.87 R$45.38

-11.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.05 R$5.38

-5.71%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$20.9K R$107.0K

-15.82%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$21.6K R$110.4K

24.22%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$46.60 R$238

78.13%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$8.96 R$45.84

8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$16.00 R$81.9

47.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$23.25 R$119

8.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$22.00 R$113

-13.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$3.63 R$18.57

8.82%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$317 R$1,621

-0.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$6,997 R$35.8K

-14.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$41.19 R$211

45.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$38.84 R$199

-18.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$85.2 R$436

19.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$50.4 R$258

113.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$200 R$1,023

137.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$128 R$657

191.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$453 R$2,320

87.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$315 R$1,612

128.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$1,390 R$7,113

134.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$452 R$2,313

38.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Araraquara: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $200 in Araraquara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 38% 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 $193 vs $136 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $617 including rent). Araraquara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $200 in Araraquara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% 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 $617 in Araraquara versus $1,003 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 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.