Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jacareí Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jacareí

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $802 in Jacareí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,291 in Jacareí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,781 in Jacareí.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Jacareí 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$6.47 R$33.38

-7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$32.67 R$169

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$6.90 R$35.60

7.54%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.80 R$9.28

-8.33%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$1.35 R$6.97

-20.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.78 R$4.01

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.78 R$9.17

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.72 R$14.04

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.14 R$5.88

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.50 R$7.73

-12.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.13 R$5.83

18.58%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.40 R$12.40

-8.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$8.14 R$42.01

-45.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.76 R$19.41

51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$8.22 R$42.42

3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$2.15 R$11.08

8.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.78 R$9.19

-37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.44 R$7.43

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.60 R$8.28

-14.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.31 R$6.76

-12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.09 R$5.61

8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.73 R$3.78

15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.61 R$3.15

40.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$1.75 R$9.05

29.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$7.78 R$40.17

49.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.37 R$7.09

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.01 R$10.39

23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.94 R$4.85

-15.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$37.76 R$195

8.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$0.88 R$4.54

67.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.57 R$2.96

236.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$7.66 R$39.51

1.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.06 R$5.47

-4.72%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$22.6K R$116.7K

-21.88%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$27.9K R$143.8K

-5.06%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$47.73 R$246

69.91%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$15.17 R$78.3

-37.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$22.42 R$116

6.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$22.92 R$118

13.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$21.89 R$113

-14.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$5.31 R$27.41

-22.98%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$318 R$1,640

-1.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$6,788 R$35.0K

-11.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$55.8 R$288

7.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$50.6 R$261

-36.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$74.5 R$384

35.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$72.2 R$373

45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$317 R$1,636

53.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$219 R$1,128

67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$572 R$2,950

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$425 R$2,194

71.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,632 R$8,425

83.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,007 R$5,195

30.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 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 15, 2026

Last update for Jacareí: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $317 in Jacareí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Jacareí. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $186, with Jacareí cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jacareí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $1,202 in Jacareí 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: $485 in Medellin versus $317 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $318 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Jacareí versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $802 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Jacareí 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.