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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $864 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,353 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,842 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 19% more expensive than Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Joao Pessoa 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$5.52 R$27.43

7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$26.51 R$132

25.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.28 R$31.21

15.45%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.67 R$8.32

2.40%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.99 R$4.94

10.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.61 R$3.02

26.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.76 R$8.74

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$3.21 R$15.97

-0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.13 R$5.61

-6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.56 R$7.73

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.29 R$6.42

6.98%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.46 R$12.20

-10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$6.00 R$29.81

-24.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.10 R$20.37

41.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$6.46 R$32.12

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.64 R$13.12

-13.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$0.86 R$4.29

23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$0.84 R$4.19

79.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.03 R$5.10

32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.17 R$5.84

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$0.88 R$4.36

32.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.62 R$3.06

33.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.81 R$4.02

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.68 R$13.33

-12.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$9.11 R$45.28

21.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.46 R$7.27

-21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.97 R$14.76

-16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.92 R$4.55

-14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$63.7 R$316

-34.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.84 R$9.17

-21.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.62 R$3.08

206.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$2.82 R$14.01

173.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.09 R$5.40

-5.50%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$19.1K R$95.0K

-7.50%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$28.3K R$140.7K

-4.56%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$75.5 R$375

7.91%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$21.83 R$108

-56.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$19.17 R$95.3

24.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$27.68 R$138

-6.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$26.95 R$134

-28.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$7.13 R$35.44

-43.20%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$315 R$1,567

-0.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,143 R$30.5K

-1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$42.06 R$209

39.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$56.0 R$278

-41.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$111 R$554

-9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$69.6 R$346

52.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$218 R$1,082

124.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$212 R$1,055

74.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$489 R$2,431

71.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$436 R$2,167

63.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$2,447 R$12.2K

20.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,210 R$6,015

15.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$521 R$2,587

2.20%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2% 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 in Medellin vs $27 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $864 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 2% 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: $490 in Medellin versus $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $315 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,030 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.