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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $773 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,245 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,716 in Imbituba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Imbituba 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.32 R$26.93

11.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$26.91 R$136

23.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.46 R$32.70

11.92%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.78 R$9.03

-8.43%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.11 R$5.63

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.62 R$3.13

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.77 R$8.98

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.74 R$13.86

17.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.95 R$4.79

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.46 R$7.41

-11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.18 R$5.99

11.86%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.97 R$9.97

15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.35 R$42.28

-47.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.57 R$18.10

64.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.13 R$36.11

20.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.12 R$10.72

6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.30 R$6.56

-17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.14 R$5.75

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.51 R$7.63

-5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.14 R$5.75

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.11 R$5.61

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.74 R$3.75

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.65 R$3.31

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.16 R$10.93

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$9.81 R$49.66

12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.25 R$6.33

-8.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.99 R$10.09

19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.94 R$4.77

-10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$38.11 R$193

10.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.10 R$5.56

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.77 R$3.88

146.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.39 R$32.33

21.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.04 R$5.27

-2.88%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.1K R$106.8K

-16.64%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.2K R$137.8K

-2.64%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$61.2 R$310

36.67%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$13.23 R$67.0

-28.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$19.23 R$97.4

25.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.69 R$115

11.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$21.34 R$108

-10.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.32 R$31.99

-35.13%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$275 R$1,391

13.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$6,570 R$33.3K

-8.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$49.35 R$250

17.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$41.87 R$212

-22.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$76.0 R$385

31.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$65.7 R$333

65.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$320 R$1,619

50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$217 R$1,096

75.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$571 R$2,891

46.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$436 R$2,210

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,688 R$8,548

68.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$973 R$4,928

25.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $320 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 $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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,159 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: $482 in Medellin versus $320 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $773 in Imbituba versus $1,017 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 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.