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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $781 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,236 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,691 in Imbituba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 28% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$5.26 R$26.93

12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$27.51 R$141

19.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$6.31 R$32.31

17.75%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$1.77 R$9.08

-6.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$1.13 R$5.76

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.67 R$3.41

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.76 R$8.99

-2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$2.68 R$13.73

18.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$0.94 R$4.83

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.50 R$7.66

-16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$1.13 R$5.80

22.12%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$2.00 R$10.26

9.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$8.19 R$41.90

-45.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$3.62 R$18.51

59.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$7.45 R$38.14

20.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.07 R$10.61

12.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$1.25 R$6.37

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$1.15 R$5.87

32.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.45 R$7.40

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$1.14 R$5.83

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$1.11 R$5.67

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.70 R$3.56

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.67 R$3.41

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$2.19 R$11.22

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$9.71 R$49.71

24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$1.23 R$6.28

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$1.97 R$10.08

25.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$0.94 R$4.80

-9.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$37.84 R$194

9.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$1.11 R$5.68

27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.71 R$3.64

174.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$6.54 R$33.45

20.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.05 R$5.36

-5.71%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$20.9K R$107.2K

-15.98%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$27.2K R$139.3K

-1.54%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$60.1 R$308

38.12%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$13.53 R$69.2

-28.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$18.62 R$95.3

26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$22.60 R$116

11.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$21.25 R$109

-10.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$6.15 R$31.48

-35.77%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$271 R$1,385

16.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$6,383 R$32.7K

-6.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$49.32 R$252

21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$42.31 R$217

-24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$74.6 R$382

36.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$65.5 R$335

63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$310 R$1,585

53.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$219 R$1,123

70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$581 R$2,974

46.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$429 R$2,194

67.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$1,633 R$8,355

99.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$1,268 R$6,490

13.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $310 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $178 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,172 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: $475 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 9% 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 $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Imbituba versus $1,003 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 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.