Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imbituba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imbituba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $792 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,254 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,716 in Imbituba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.28 R$26.36

12.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$27.35 R$136

19.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.47 R$32.26

11.28%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.71 R$8.55

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.12 R$5.60

-1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.61 R$3.05

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.76 R$8.78

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.68 R$13.39

15.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.93 R$4.66

13.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.46 R$7.29

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.13 R$5.65

23.01%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.04 R$10.19

10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.40 R$41.90

-48.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.57 R$17.83

63.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.33 R$36.58

20.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.13 R$10.65

5.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.25 R$6.26

-13.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.18 R$5.89

29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.52 R$7.56

-9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.20 R$5.98

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.05 R$5.26

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.75 R$3.73

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.67 R$3.34

35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.07 R$10.32

12.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$9.91 R$49.43

12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.21 R$6.04

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.06 R$10.27

15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.89 R$4.42

-11.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$38.72 R$193

6.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.05 R$5.25

37.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.70 R$3.50

172.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.47 R$32.27

23.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.04 R$5.21

-9.62%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.9K R$104.5K

-14.45%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.6K R$137.5K

-2.81%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$61.6 R$307

36.39%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.22 R$66.0

-27.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$18.67 R$93.2

29.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.08 R$110

17.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$21.78 R$109

-12.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.41 R$31.97

-38.85%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$267 R$1,332

14.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,397 R$31.9K

-7.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$48.20 R$241

20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$42.78 R$213

-25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$75.0 R$374

33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$64.4 R$321

66.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$310 R$1,546

57.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$216 R$1,076

70.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$590 R$2,946

39.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$438 R$2,186

63.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,776 R$8,862

64.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,213 R$6,055

15.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $310 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $179 per month, with Imbituba 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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,188 in Imbituba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $310 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Imbituba versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.