Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Joao Pessoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Joao Pessoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $844 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,359 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,874 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 19% more expensive than in Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Joao Pessoa 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$5.27 R$26.97

12.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$27.19 R$139

21.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$6.12 R$31.32

21.41%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$1.61 R$8.25

2.48%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$0.97 R$4.98

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.57 R$2.90

36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.82 R$9.31

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$3.15 R$16.13

0.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$1.17 R$5.99

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.50 R$7.66

-16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$1.33 R$6.81

3.76%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$2.56 R$13.10

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$6.19 R$31.65

-27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$3.94 R$20.14

46.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$6.56 R$33.59

36.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.58 R$13.19

-10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$0.89 R$4.56

19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$0.77 R$3.96

97.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$0.99 R$5.04

37.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$1.24 R$6.33

-8.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$0.89 R$4.54

31.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.58 R$2.97

55.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.76 R$3.89

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$2.66 R$13.62

-16.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$8.55 R$43.75

41.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$1.39 R$7.12

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$2.95 R$15.11

-15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$0.92 R$4.73

-7.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$63.7 R$326

-34.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$1.84 R$9.41

-22.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.62 R$3.18

214.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$2.82 R$14.42

179.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.04 R$5.33

-4.81%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$19.1K R$97.8K

-7.89%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$28.4K R$145.1K

-5.51%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$75.2 R$385

10.42%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$21.44 R$110

-54.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$19.49 R$99.7

20.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$27.77 R$142

-9.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$26.78 R$137

-28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$7.14 R$36.54

-44.68%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$322 R$1,650

-2.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$6,236 R$31.9K

-4.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$42.79 R$219

40.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$56.7 R$290

-43.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$110 R$565

-7.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$68.7 R$352

56.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$221 R$1,130

115.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$215 R$1,100

73.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$498 R$2,548

70.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$441 R$2,255

63.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$2,395 R$12.3K

36.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$1,179 R$6,031

22.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$495 R$2,532

26.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $221 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $173 per month, with Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Joao Pessoa differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $844 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Medellin versus $221 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $322 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Joao Pessoa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Joao Pessoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Joao Pessoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.