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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $737 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,204 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,672 in Caraguatatuba.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Caraguatatuba 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.90 R$34.55

-13.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$26.11 R$131

25.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.62 R$33.12

7.10%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.75 R$8.75

-2.29%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.06 R$5.29

3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.76 R$3.81

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.84 R$9.19

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.78 R$13.89

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.88 R$4.41

23.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.47 R$7.34

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.19 R$5.95

15.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.69 R$8.45

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.47 R$27.39

-19.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$2.98 R$14.89

88.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.08 R$35.43

25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.84 R$9.21

27.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.66 R$8.33

-36.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.36 R$6.81

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.72 R$8.61

-19.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.15 R$5.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.69 R$3.44

68.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.66 R$3.31

34.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.67 R$3.37

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.78 R$8.92

28.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.09 R$35.49

50.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.37 R$6.88

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.08 R$10.41

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.93 R$4.64

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$20.52 R$103

101.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.06 R$5.31

38.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.62 R$3.08

216.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.25 R$16.29

138.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.06 R$5.33

-10.38%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$13.9K R$69.6K

30.36%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$27.1K R$135.7K

-2.36%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$51.7 R$259

59.12%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$11.52 R$57.6

-17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$20.75 R$104

16.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$19.48 R$97.5

32.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$14.15 R$70.8

34.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.33 R$36.70

-46.38%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$198 R$991

56.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,829 R$19.2K

55.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$51.5 R$258

13.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$56.2 R$281

-42.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$71.4 R$357

43.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$52.6 R$263

106.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$371 R$1,857

28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$207 R$1,037

82.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$770 R$3,853

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$476 R$2,383

52.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,575 R$7,880

77.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,153 R$5,770

5.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$330 R$1,654

54.89%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 55% 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 $188 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.

Medellin pays 55% 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: $476 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 17% 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 $737 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,013 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.