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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $919 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,712 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,504 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Medellin costs about 87% more than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Guarulhos is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$8.83 R$45.05

-9.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$38.26 R$195

26.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$8.47 R$43.17

15.35%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.48 R$12.66

17.34%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.36 R$6.93

42.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.85 R$4.34

78.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.26 R$11.53

36.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.70 R$18.89

55.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.02 R$5.22

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.79 R$9.14

33.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.34 R$6.81

26.87%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.73 R$13.93

5.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$11.68 R$59.6

-14.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$4.85 R$24.73

122.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.42 R$53.1

41.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.30 R$11.71

77.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.72 R$8.79

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.48 R$7.54

43.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.42 R$7.26

55.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.27 R$6.49

61.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.19 R$6.07

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.93 R$4.75

27.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.84 R$4.29

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.40 R$12.22

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$9.74 R$49.66

48.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.51 R$7.72

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.52 R$12.83

12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$1.12 R$5.71

4.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$102 R$522

-24.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.18 R$6.03

8.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.69 R$3.51

202.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$8.30 R$42.34

3.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.23 R$6.29

5.69%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$22.5K R$114.8K

22.85%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$33.2K R$169.1K

7.09%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$70.0 R$357

151.46%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$15.34 R$78.2

-12.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$21.72 R$111

37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$26.90 R$137

66.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$9.82 R$50.1

-36.86%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$420 R$2,144

88.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$9,859 R$50.3K

-8.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$62.6 R$319

36.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$55.2 R$282

5.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$90.6 R$462

50.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$83.0 R$423

24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$343 R$1,748

209.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$152 R$776

346.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$965 R$4,919

108.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$752 R$3,833

55.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,873 R$9,550

119.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,452 R$7,404

17.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$363 R$1,850

83.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.25

-2.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $343 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 83% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $222 – making Guarulhos 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 87% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,379 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $38.00 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 $1,716 in Medellin and $919 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 $919, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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 $919 versus $1,716 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.