Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Joinville Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Joinville

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $892 in Joinville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,500 in Joinville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,109 in Joinville, rent included.

Medellin costs about 88% more than Joinville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Joinville is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$7.96 R$40.99

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$49.53 R$255

-3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$6.83 R$35.17

44.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$1.96 R$10.11

59.69%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$1.13 R$5.83

69.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.47 R$2.41

221.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$3.24 R$16.67

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.28 R$11.73

152.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$0.93 R$4.79

54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.30 R$6.67

91.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$0.93 R$4.77

90.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$2.85 R$14.70

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$8.05 R$41.44

25.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$3.06 R$15.77

230.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$6.69 R$34.42

113.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$1.70 R$8.75

143.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$1.15 R$5.92

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$1.34 R$6.88

67.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$1.66 R$8.54

35.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$1.22 R$6.27

67.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$1.24 R$6.40

24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$1.42 R$7.33

-17.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.97 R$4.99

35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$3.19 R$16.45

22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$8.99 R$46.28

55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.09 R$5.61

59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$3.08 R$15.85

-6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$1.29 R$6.65

-5.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$59.3 R$305

35.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$1.99 R$10.24

-34.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$1.53 R$7.86

43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$9.55 R$49.17

-8.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.26 R$6.50

8.73%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$24.3K R$125.2K

14.45%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$32.4K R$166.9K

10.38%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$59.3 R$305

199.24%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$11.02 R$56.7

25.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$20.74 R$107

43.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$25.98 R$134

72.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$27.54 R$142

-37.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$8.59 R$44.23

-22.58%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$312 R$1,606

160.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$6,490 R$33.4K

41.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$44.61 R$230

100.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$89.1 R$459

-33.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$86.5 R$445

59.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$65.6 R$338

55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$414 R$2,133

156.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$250 R$1,287

165.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$751 R$3,865

151.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$540 R$2,779

90.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$1,895 R$9,755

120.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,281 R$6,594

30.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$668 R$3,439

1.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.5

4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Joinville: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $414 in Joinville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $50.0 in Joinville. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $179 in Joinville – so Joinville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Joinville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 88% more than Joinville, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,337 in Joinville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Joinville, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $50.0 in Joinville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Joinville, where all-in costs run around $892, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Joinville it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Joinville costs $892 versus $1,681 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Joinville. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.