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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,028 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,604 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,180 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 63% more expensive than in Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Joao Pessoa is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.95 R$35.80

15.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$29.07 R$150

64.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.94 R$40.92

24.56%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.48 R$7.60

111.49%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.98 R$5.07

94.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.71 R$3.64

112.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.89 R$9.72

65.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.43 R$17.66

67.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.17 R$6.03

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.99 R$10.26

25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.46 R$7.51

21.23%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.10 R$10.82

40.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.32 R$42.87

21.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.68 R$24.10

116.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.10 R$36.59

101.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.29 R$16.93

25.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.97 R$4.98

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.82 R$4.25

174.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.14 R$5.85

97.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.53 R$7.90

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.25 R$6.46

23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.70 R$3.60

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.84 R$4.32

55.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.99 R$15.42

30.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.63 R$44.45

62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.51 R$7.79

15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.17 R$16.34

-9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.99 R$5.09

23.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$69.3 R$357

16.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.96 R$10.11

-33.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.93 R$9.94

13.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.05 R$15.73

185.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.30 R$6.69

5.38%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.1K R$119.0K

20.55%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.1K R$165.3K

11.49%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$124 R$638

43.19%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$22.22 R$114

-37.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$23.17 R$119

28.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$36.95 R$190

21.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$28.71 R$148

-40.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.52 R$54.2

-36.79%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$385 R$1,985

110.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,476 R$33.4K

41.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$51.5 R$265

73.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$66.5 R$342

-11.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$85.0 R$438

62.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$74.0 R$381

38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$392 R$2,021

170.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$263 R$1,353

152.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$634 R$3,268

197.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$508 R$2,617

102.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,380 R$12.3K

75.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,185 R$6,105

41.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$495 R$2,551

36.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $392 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 37% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $198 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,028 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $392 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $385 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,681 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 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.