Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caruaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Caruaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $565 in Caruaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $932 in Caruaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,299 in Caruaru.

Living in Medellin is roughly 82% more expensive than Caruaru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Caruaru 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$4.57 R$23.25

31.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$26.61 R$135

23.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.36 R$32.37

16.67%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.67 R$8.50

-1.20%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.97 R$4.94

10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.38 R$1.92

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.11 R$5.64

54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.47 R$7.46

117.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.16 R$5.89

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.00 R$5.11

31.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.94 R$4.76

42.55%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.56 R$13.01

-14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$3.51 R$17.83

25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$2.65 R$13.48

114.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$6.28 R$31.95

35.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.23 R$6.24

90.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.91 R$4.65

21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$0.83 R$4.23

83.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.98 R$5.01

39.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.77 R$3.92

49.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.89 R$4.52

32.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.37 R$1.89

127.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.57 R$2.88

50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.73 R$13.87

-17.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$3.03 R$15.40

282.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.40 R$7.15

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.93 R$14.93

-15.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.82 R$4.20

-3.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$24.69 R$126

65.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.75 R$8.89

-16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.64 R$3.23

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.83 R$14.38

174.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.82 R$4.19

23.17%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$18.9K R$96.2K

-6.66%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$29.1K R$148.2K

-9.15%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$51.1 R$260

58.65%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$7.02 R$35.73

34.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$8.97 R$45.64

166.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$13.71 R$69.7

89.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$26.79 R$136

-30.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$6.56 R$33.39

-37.65%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$99.4 R$506

216.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$6,256 R$31.8K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$35.13 R$179

69.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$45.06 R$229

-29.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$109 R$554

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$58.6 R$298

79.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$149 R$757

226.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$117 R$593

213.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$323 R$1,644

155.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$238 R$1,213

206.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,590 R$8,092

88.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,082 R$5,507

21.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$260 R$1,321

112.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Caruaru: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $149 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 112% 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 $27.00 in Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $129 per month, with Caruaru 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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Caruaru differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $565 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 112% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $149 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $99.4 in Caruaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $565 in Caruaru versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.