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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $824 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,862 in Macaé.

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Macaé 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.70 R$29.02

8.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$33.80 R$172

-3.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.42 R$32.67

14.33%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.92 R$9.78

-10.42%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.28 R$6.53

-17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.82 R$4.19

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.78 R$9.06

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.19 R$11.16

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.06 R$5.39

-0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.59 R$8.11

-18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.28 R$6.53

9.37%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.94 R$9.89

11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.08 R$41.14

-45.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.55 R$18.07

65.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.37 R$32.45

35.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.30 R$11.71

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.27 R$6.47

-12.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.18 R$6.03

29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.39 R$7.07

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.09 R$5.56

3.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.16 R$5.93

-2.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.67 R$3.41

26.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.47 R$2.39

93.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.01 R$10.21

16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.81 R$29.56

112.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.92 R$4.67

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.14 R$5.81

118.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.75 R$3.83

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$73.8 R$376

-45.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.13 R$5.76

25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.71 R$3.60

170.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$7.49 R$38.11

2.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.07 R$5.43

-7.48%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$17.8K R$90.5K

1.44%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.0K R$137.7K

-1.52%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$58.4 R$297

38.49%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$10.03 R$51.1

-0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$18.88 R$96.1

28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$38.50 R$196

-34.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$26.80 R$136

-28.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.17 R$31.41

-35.49%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$541 R$2,753

-43.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,587 R$33.5K

-8.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$44.81 R$228

29.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$29.33 R$149

9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$71.6 R$364

40.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$60.8 R$310

77.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$357 R$1,816

33.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$234 R$1,193

60.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$661 R$3,366

27.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$508 R$2,587

43.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,231 R$6,267

161.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$762 R$3,877

80.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$761 R$3,875

-18.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.25

19.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Macaé: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $357 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Macaé. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $164, with Macaé cheaper for home cooking.

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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $824 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $357 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 $34.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $824 in Macaé – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $824 in Macaé versus $1,031 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 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.