Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caraguatatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caraguatatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $751 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,215 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,678 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Caraguatatuba 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$6.66 R$34.02

-7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$26.36 R$135

23.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.83 R$34.92

7.47%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.75 R$8.95

-1.71%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.06 R$5.40

-0.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.84 R$4.28

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.82 R$9.32

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.86 R$14.62

10.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.96 R$4.91

9.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.47 R$7.50

-11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.19 R$6.07

17.65%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.69 R$8.66

27.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.43 R$27.77

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.95 R$15.07

99.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.41 R$37.85

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.93 R$9.88

18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.67 R$8.52

-33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.33 R$6.82

15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.69 R$8.64

-20.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.14 R$5.85

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.75 R$3.81

50.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.61 R$3.13

39.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.69 R$3.51

31.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$1.79 R$9.12

30.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.72 R$34.36

84.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.32 R$6.74

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.00 R$10.23

24.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.87 R$4.47

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$20.96 R$107

93.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.05 R$5.39

35.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.58 R$2.96

231.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$3.14 R$16.07

143.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.07 R$5.45

-7.48%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$13.8K R$70.4K

30.86%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$26.2K R$133.7K

1.82%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$51.3 R$262

57.49%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$11.91 R$60.9

-16.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$20.56 R$105

17.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$19.37 R$99.0

29.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.15 R$72.3

35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.39 R$37.77

-46.14%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$200 R$1,020

52.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,854 R$19.7K

57.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$50.6 R$259

14.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$55.6 R$284

-42.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$71.6 R$366

40.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$53.6 R$274

100.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$371 R$1,894

28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$206 R$1,055

82.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$775 R$3,959

9.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$482 R$2,462

51.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,629 R$8,327

97.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,131 R$5,782

21.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$327 R$1,672

88.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.15

64.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 89% 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 $26.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $162 per month, with Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $751 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.