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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $821 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,320 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,819 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 105% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Caraguatatuba is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.31 R$37.69

9.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$28.18 R$145

69.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.09 R$41.69

22.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.23 R$11.50

40.36%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.18 R$6.10

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.92 R$4.72

64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.38 R$12.24

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.14 R$16.18

83.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.97 R$5.01

48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.51 R$7.78

64.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.31 R$6.75

35.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.92 R$9.87

54.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.89 R$30.34

70.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.09 R$15.91

227.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.64 R$39.34

87.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.08 R$10.70

99.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.76 R$9.08

-8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.42 R$7.34

58.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.51 R$7.76

49.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.28 R$6.61

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.75 R$3.88

105.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.66 R$3.39

77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.76 R$3.93

72.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.03 R$10.46

92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.62 R$34.11

111.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.47 R$7.57

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.43 R$12.50

18.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.95 R$4.91

28.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$22.80 R$117

252.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.11 R$5.70

18.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.69 R$3.56

217.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.48 R$17.90

150.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.27 R$6.55

7.87%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$14.9K R$76.8K

86.72%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$29.0K R$149.6K

23.20%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$64.5 R$332

175.01%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$12.90 R$66.5

7.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$22.19 R$114

33.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$20.94 R$108

114.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$15.33 R$79.0

11.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.94 R$40.90

-16.25%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$212 R$1,094

282.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,066 R$20.9K

125.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$54.2 R$279

65.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$55.4 R$285

6.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$74.6 R$384

85.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$57.5 R$296

77.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$415 R$2,140

155.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$226 R$1,165

193.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$855 R$4,403

120.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$520 R$2,680

97.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,622 R$8,355

157.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,130 R$5,822

48.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$333 R$1,715

103.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.15

34.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $415 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 104% 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 $28.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $171 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, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $415 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% 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 $28.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $821 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,681 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 105% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.