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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $577 in Caruaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $952 in Caruaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,326 in Caruaru.

Living in Medellin is roughly 78% more expensive than Caruaru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Caruaru 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$4.50 R$22.37

31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$27.38 R$136

21.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.37 R$31.64

13.81%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.60 R$7.95

6.87%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.92 R$4.58

18.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.35 R$1.72

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.06 R$5.25

65.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.45 R$7.23

119.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.15 R$5.74

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$0.98 R$4.87

32.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$0.93 R$4.61

48.39%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.48 R$12.31

-10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$3.57 R$17.75

26.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$2.63 R$13.07

120.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$6.21 R$30.85

44.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$1.29 R$6.40

77.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$0.85 R$4.23

24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$0.77 R$3.85

96.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$0.99 R$4.91

37.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.77 R$3.85

50.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$0.88 R$4.36

32.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.38 R$1.87

118.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.57 R$2.81

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.68 R$13.31

-12.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$2.94 R$14.63

277.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.45 R$7.20

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.99 R$14.85

-17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.82 R$4.08

-3.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$24.56 R$122

70.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.82 R$9.06

-20.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.63 R$3.11

201.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$2.69 R$13.38

186.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$0.78 R$3.87

32.05%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$19.2K R$95.6K

-8.11%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$28.4K R$141.1K

-4.83%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$51.7 R$257

57.52%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$7.08 R$35.18

33.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$8.95 R$44.50

165.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$13.43 R$66.8

92.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$27.26 R$135

-29.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.37 R$31.65

-36.42%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$98.8 R$491

216.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,275 R$31.2K

-3.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$36.26 R$180

62.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$45.22 R$225

-27.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$110 R$548

-8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$58.5 R$291

81.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$149 R$741

228.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$118 R$585

214.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$319 R$1,583

163.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$230 R$1,142

210.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,725 R$8,573

71.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,192 R$5,926

16.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$268 R$1,330

98.86%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Caruaru: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $149 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 99% 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 in Medellin vs $27 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $577 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 99% 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: $490 in Medellin versus $149 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $98.8 in Caruaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $577 in Caruaru versus $1,030 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 78% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.