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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $850 in Jacareí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,368 in Jacareí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,886 in Jacareí.

Living in Medellin is roughly 98% more expensive than in Jacareí, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Jacareí is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$6.83 R$35.49

15.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$30.20 R$157

47.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$6.73 R$34.96

38.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.14 R$11.09

35.51%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.55 R$8.05

16.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.89 R$4.60

74.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.43 R$12.62

33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.81 R$14.60

109.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.16 R$6.01

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.89 R$9.80

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.13 R$5.87

33.63%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.26 R$11.76

23.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$8.45 R$43.90

7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.23 R$21.96

151.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$9.36 R$48.60

56.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.12 R$11.02

87.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.77 R$9.17

-22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.72 R$8.93

33.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.78 R$9.25

13.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.27 R$6.60

64.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.25 R$6.51

30.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.89 R$4.62

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.77 R$3.98

62.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$2.24 R$11.66

79.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$7.75 R$40.25

73.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.34 R$6.95

19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.93 R$10.00

55.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.91 R$4.74

29.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$46.64 R$242

71.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.23 R$6.38

30.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.35 R$7.01

57.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$9.09 R$47.18

-6.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.24 R$6.42

8.87%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$22.8K R$118.6K

24.03%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$32.2K R$167.1K

10.94%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$44.26 R$230

242.02%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$11.86 R$61.6

10.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$21.38 R$111

51.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$28.18 R$146

64.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$29.23 R$152

-40.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.90 R$41.03

-18.61%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$266 R$1,380

214.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$7,404 R$38.4K

20.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$53.4 R$277

67.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$35.96 R$187

53.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$92.5 R$481

47.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$56.5 R$293

93.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$383 R$1,991

148.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$230 R$1,195

190.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$652 R$3,386

209.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$486 R$2,525

136.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,715 R$8,908

115.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,153 R$5,985

37.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.12

-6.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Jacareí: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $383 in Jacareí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Jacareí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $201 per month, with Jacareí 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 Jacareí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 98% 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 $2,530 in Medellin and $1,275 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: $952 in Medellin versus $383 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $835 in Medellin versus $266 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $850 in Jacareí versus $1,687 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 $850 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 98% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.