Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarulhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarulhos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $802 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,298 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,793 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Medellin costs about 26% more than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Guarulhos are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Guarulhos 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.15 R$35.80

-16.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$32.78 R$164

0.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.91 R$34.56

2.60%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.74 R$8.69

-1.72%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.21 R$6.08

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.89 R$4.43

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.14 R$10.69

-21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.85 R$14.25

7.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.02 R$5.10

6.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.75 R$8.76

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.15 R$5.75

20.00%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.40 R$12.03

-8.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.33 R$51.7

-57.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.01 R$20.06

40.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$8.37 R$41.90

6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.14 R$10.73

9.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.65 R$8.28

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.39 R$6.93

7.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.68 R$8.40

-17.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.37 R$6.87

-16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.29 R$6.46

-10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.93 R$4.68

-4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.69 R$3.45

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.10 R$10.52

8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$9.95 R$49.79

6.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.30 R$6.50

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.22 R$11.11

11.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.02 R$5.12

-15.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$38.02 R$190

8.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.06 R$5.28

38.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.63 R$3.14

211.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$7.73 R$38.68

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.06 R$5.31

-10.38%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$21.5K R$107.5K

-15.57%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$28.1K R$140.6K

-5.73%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$52.3 R$262

57.30%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$13.10 R$65.6

-27.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$19.90 R$99.6

21.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$14.02 R$70.1

84.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$21.73 R$109

-12.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.03 R$35.19

-44.10%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$333 R$1,665

-6.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$8,817 R$44.1K

-32.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$52.0 R$260

12.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$42.18 R$211

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$74.9 R$375

37.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$73.5 R$368

47.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$317 R$1,585

50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$216 R$1,080

75.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 R$2,955

41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$427 R$2,135

69.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,938 R$9,699

43.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,325 R$6,632

-8.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$368 R$1,842

39.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.17

20.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $317 in Guarulhos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $202 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 26% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,203 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $33.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,013 in Medellin and $802 in Guarulhos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $802 versus $1,013 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.