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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $858 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,349 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,841 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Joao Pessoa 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.38 R$27.72

11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$27.48 R$142

19.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$6.22 R$32.04

13.99%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.66 R$8.55

3.01%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.00 R$5.16

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.60 R$3.11

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.81 R$9.33

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.17 R$16.32

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.17 R$6.03

-6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.53 R$7.90

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.31 R$6.75

5.34%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.56 R$13.18

-14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$6.27 R$32.28

-29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$4.02 R$20.70

40.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$6.58 R$33.91

35.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.59 R$13.36

-9.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$0.84 R$4.34

26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$0.85 R$4.37

76.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.04 R$5.34

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.20 R$6.16

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$0.88 R$4.54

31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.61 R$3.12

45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.81 R$4.19

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.78 R$14.31

-17.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$8.97 R$46.19

18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.44 R$7.42

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.87 R$14.80

-13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.86 R$4.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$62.0 R$319

-33.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.82 R$9.35

-19.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.63 R$3.23

211.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$2.96 R$15.24

161.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.09 R$5.61

-12.84%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$18.7K R$96.6K

-3.30%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$28.8K R$148.2K

-7.94%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$75.9 R$391

8.35%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$21.74 R$112

-56.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$19.58 R$101

23.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$28.45 R$147

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$26.90 R$139

-29.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$7.32 R$37.73

-46.31%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$319 R$1,646

-3.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,287 R$32.4K

-5.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$41.68 R$215

40.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$55.7 R$287

-41.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$112 R$579

-8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$70.2 R$361

54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$218 R$1,122

118.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$219 R$1,126

73.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$494 R$2,544

69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$427 R$2,201

69.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,461 R$12.7K

13.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,201 R$6,188

0.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$505 R$2,600

1.38%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1% 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 $188 vs $176 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $858 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 1% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $319 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,013 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 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.