Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jaboatão dos Guararapes

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaboatão dos Guararapes: $857 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Jaboatão dos Guararapes
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Jaboatão dos Guararapes Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jaboatão dos Guararapes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Jaboatão dos Guararapes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $857 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $857

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,319 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $1,319

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,780 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $1,780

Medellin costs about 88% more than Jaboatão dos Guararapes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Jaboatão dos Guararapes is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$6.04 R$30.28

31.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$30.46 R$153

51.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$8.04 R$40.35

18.16%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$1.58 R$7.94

96.84%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$1.07 R$5.36

71.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,374

$0.65 R$3.25

112.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$1.62 R$8.10

88.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$3.20 R$16.04

71.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.22 R$6.14

18.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$2.07 R$10.40

14.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$1.48 R$7.42

13.51%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$2.15 R$10.79

33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$8.21 R$41.18

24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$4.60 R$23.09

107.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$8.06 R$40.42

74.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.37 R$6.86

197.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$0.93 R$4.68

61.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$0.80 R$4.02

171.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.23 R$6.16

87.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$1.49 R$7.49

29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.13 R$5.67

45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$0.52 R$2.61

117.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$0.83 R$4.17

50.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$3.04 R$15.25

31.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$7.85 R$39.37

70.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$1.19 R$5.95

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,549

$1.59 R$7.96

49.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.86 R$4.31

40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

$44.84 R$225

70.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,193

$1.22 R$6.12

8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$0.75 R$3.76

185.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$3.20 R$16.04

164.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.33 R$6.65

-2.26%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$23.6K R$118.5K

18.54%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$33.5K R$167.9K

5.80%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$114 R$574

50.39%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$13.58 R$68.1

-1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$17.55 R$88.0

63.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$25.57 R$128

76.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

$27.33 R$137

-37.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$10.16 R$51.0

-38.19%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$280 R$1,404

175.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$6,919 R$34.7K

30.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$45.16 R$227

91.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$49.78 R$250

14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$77.0 R$386

77.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$77.8 R$390

25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$354 R$1,774

198.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$203 R$1,016

204.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$665 R$3,334

184.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$347 R$1,741

194.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,949 R$9,780

108.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,106 R$5,551

51.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$317 R$1,588

106.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.75

-6.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jaboatão dos Guararapes: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$203 23.6% 67.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$185 21.6% 37.3% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$146 17% 32% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$112 13.1% 33.9% $58

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$113 13.2% 33.1% $56

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$53 6.2% 42.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$46 5.4% 20.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $354 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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 106% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $185 – making Jaboatão dos Guararapes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Jaboatão dos Guararapes

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

13:38 1:38 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

644,037

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,564 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Jaboatão dos Guararapes 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jaboatão dos Guararapes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,285 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $857 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. That's a gap of about 88%.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, where all-in costs run around $857, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Jaboatão dos Guararapes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jaboatão dos Guararapes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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.