Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ilheus Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ilheus

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $842 in Ilheus, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,348 in Ilheus, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,854 in Ilheus, rent included.

Medellin costs about 95% more than Ilheus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ilheus is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.16 R$21.35

93.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$31.52 R$162

53.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.24 R$37.12

30.11%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.98 R$10.13

48.48%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.22 R$6.24

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.65 R$3.34

124.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.77 R$9.07

81.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.93 R$15.00

94.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.04 R$5.34

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.63 R$8.37

47.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.23 R$6.32

38.21%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.19 R$11.23

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$18.74 R$96.1

-46.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.20 R$21.55

137.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.98 R$40.90

77.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.14 R$10.96

85.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.26 R$6.48

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.20 R$6.15

79.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.63 R$8.38

41.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.17 R$6.01

70.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.10 R$5.64

37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.77 R$3.97

55.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.82 R$4.23

56.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.37 R$12.13

62.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.11 R$36.44

97.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.26 R$6.43

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.10 R$10.78

30.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.97 R$4.96

28.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$47.90 R$246

62.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.21 R$6.23

8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.88 R$4.53

146.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.93 R$35.54

19.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.15 R$5.87

18.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$20.5K R$105.3K

33.71%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.9K R$179.0K

4.64%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$73.9 R$379

128.40%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.97 R$61.4

13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$20.48 R$105

38.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$26.85 R$138

70.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$25.65 R$131

-32.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.82 R$40.08

-14.96%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$306 R$1,566

162.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,568 R$38.8K

21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$50.2 R$257

74.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$49.20 R$252

20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$93.3 R$478

48.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$60.7 R$311

68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$221 R$1,134

384.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$194 R$992

237.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$555 R$2,846

246.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$424 R$2,174

147.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,607 R$8,240

156.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,050 R$5,384

61.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$576 R$2,951

13.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.12

-1.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $221 in Ilheus. 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 14% 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 $32.00 in Ilheus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $216 – making Ilheus 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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $842 in Ilheus – roughly 95% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,263 in Ilheus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 39% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Ilheus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilheus, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Ilheus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $842 in Ilheus to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ilheus. 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.