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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $645 in Araraquara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,072 in Araraquara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,499 in Araraquara.

Living in Medellin is roughly 155% more expensive than in Araraquara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Araraquara is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.71 R$29.27

40.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$23.73 R$122

103.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.86 R$35.16

37.32%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.24 R$11.47

31.25%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.60 R$8.23

16.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.80 R$4.12

82.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.97 R$10.08

62.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.96 R$20.28

44.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.91 R$4.64

58.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.24 R$6.37

93.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.17 R$5.98

45.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.33 R$11.93

24.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.57 R$33.70

53.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.33 R$17.08

199.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.32 R$32.39

124.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.36 R$6.96

192.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.93 R$4.78

69.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.95 R$4.89

126.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.24 R$6.35

85.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.84 R$4.30

138.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.80 R$4.08

88.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.65 R$3.31

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.74 R$3.80

72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.97 R$10.10

94.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.19 R$26.63

169.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.96 R$4.94

78.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.53 R$7.86

79.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.07 R$5.46

16.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$24.94 R$128

212.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.30 R$6.65

0.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.95 R$4.89

128.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.43 R$48.33

-12.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.11 R$5.68

22.52%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.7K R$116.5K

20.91%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$23.0K R$118.0K

58.67%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$44.40 R$228

280.00%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.80 R$50.2

38.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$17.61 R$90.3

60.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$25.44 R$130

79.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$19.61 R$101

-12.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.96 R$20.31

67.93%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$298 R$1,525

169.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,431 R$38.1K

23.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$46.42 R$238

88.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$42.24 R$217

40.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$93.1 R$477

49.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$52.8 R$271

93.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$221 R$1,133

384.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$142 R$730

358.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$497 R$2,549

287.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$341 R$1,746

207.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,355 R$6,944

204.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$450 R$2,308

45.51%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Araraquara: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $221 in Araraquara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 46% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Araraquara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $147 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 155% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $645 including rent). Araraquara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $221 in Araraquara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% 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 $24.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $645 in Araraquara versus $1,641 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 155% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.