Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Macaé Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Macaé

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $861 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,437 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,012 in Macaé.

Living in Medellin is roughly 99% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Macaé is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$5.32 R$27.11

50.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$29.32 R$150

64.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$6.82 R$34.77

43.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$1.65 R$8.41

76.36%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.29 R$6.56

50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.56 R$2.84

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.15 R$5.85

168.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.78 R$14.15

106.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$0.94 R$4.78

44.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.51 R$7.71

58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.31 R$6.68

29.77%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.87 R$9.53

53.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$8.71 R$44.41

14.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.30 R$16.84

226.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.00 R$45.89

63.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.79 R$9.14

128.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.15 R$5.89

36.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$0.94 R$4.77

126.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.23 R$6.25

79.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.66 R$3.37

210.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.77 R$3.92

94.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.52 R$2.63

128.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.50 R$2.57

132.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.52 R$7.77

156.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$5.86 R$29.89

146.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.99 R$5.03

59.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.23 R$6.30

130.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$1.50 R$7.66

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$79.1 R$404

-1.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.33 R$6.77

-3.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.71 R$3.65

194.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$7.95 R$40.54

8.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.21 R$6.18

7.44%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$20.6K R$105.1K

34.22%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$30.2K R$153.9K

17.70%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$97.1 R$495

81.29%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$9.78 R$49.90

36.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$18.75 R$95.6

59.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$38.63 R$197

15.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$29.33 R$150

-41.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.55 R$33.39

-5.34%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$632 R$3,221

25.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$6,807 R$34.7K

32.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$61.9 R$316

38.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$31.21 R$159

87.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$64.1 R$327

112.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$45.46 R$232

126.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$361 R$1,839

193.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$236 R$1,203

188.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$869 R$4,434

131.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$647 R$3,302

80.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,227 R$6,260

234.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$776 R$3,955

119.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$780 R$3,976

-14.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.67

2.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Macaé: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $361 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $163 per month, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Macaé differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $861 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Macaé. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $361 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $861 in Macaé – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Macaé versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.