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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $817 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,310 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,802 in Imbituba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 106% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Imbituba is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.83 R$24.78

66.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$28.80 R$148

66.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.79 R$34.82

45.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.89 R$9.67

65.61%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.11 R$5.68

72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.47 R$2.40

221.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.27 R$11.62

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.26 R$11.59

154.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.96 R$4.93

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.20 R$6.16

107.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$0.91 R$4.69

94.51%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.23 R$11.42

32.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$7.84 R$40.17

28.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.10 R$15.88

226.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$6.49 R$33.26

120.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.52 R$7.77

172.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.82 R$4.19

96.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.20 R$6.13

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.81 R$4.17

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.76 R$3.89

168.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.19 R$6.11

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.48 R$7.58

-20.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.94 R$4.79

39.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.20 R$16.40

21.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$9.01 R$46.18

55.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.12 R$5.75

55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.98 R$15.28

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.10 R$5.65

10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$39.82 R$204

102.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.98 R$10.16

-33.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.51 R$7.73

45.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$9.62 R$49.32

-9.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.21 R$6.18

13.22%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$24.3K R$124.3K

14.76%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$32.5K R$166.5K

10.07%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$59.5 R$305

197.78%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$11.19 R$57.3

24.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$20.82 R$107

42.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$24.89 R$128

80.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$28.63 R$147

-40.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$8.49 R$43.50

-21.67%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$315 R$1,617

157.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$6,405 R$32.8K

43.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$45.72 R$234

95.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$89.2 R$457

-33.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$89.5 R$459

54.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$66.8 R$342

52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$334 R$1,711

218.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$201 R$1,031

229.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$724 R$3,712

160.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$496 R$2,540

107.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,774 R$9,089

135.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$977 R$5,005

71.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.5

4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $334 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $165 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,226 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $334 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% 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 $29.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Imbituba versus $1,681 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 106% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.