Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maceio - Alagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maceio - Alagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $809 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,266 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,722 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 112% more expensive than in Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Maceio - Alagoas is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$5.85 R$29.85

37.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$28.52 R$145

69.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$5.73 R$29.23

70.51%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$1.70 R$8.67

71.18%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.07 R$5.46

81.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.47 R$2.37

223.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.58 R$8.04

95.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.93 R$20.05

46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.09 R$5.56

24.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.92 R$9.80

24.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.02 R$5.20

66.67%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.88 R$9.60

52.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$9.02 R$46.02

10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$4.49 R$22.91

140.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$7.24 R$36.93

103.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.76 R$14.07

48.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.09 R$5.56

44.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.30 R$6.63

63.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.26 R$6.41

75.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.37 R$6.96

49.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.28 R$6.52

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.57 R$2.90

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.79 R$4.01

46.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.03 R$10.38

92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$6.94 R$35.39

108.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.49 R$7.60

6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.45 R$7.40

95.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.74 R$3.80

58.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$0.41 R$2.08

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.38 R$1.93

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.17 R$5.96

11.11%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$21.2K R$107.9K

30.67%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$29.9K R$152.6K

18.70%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$78.1 R$398

125.59%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$15.76 R$80.4

-15.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$17.30 R$88.2

72.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$23.73 R$121

88.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$5.72 R$29.18

8.39%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$212 R$1,084

273.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$7,070 R$36.1K

27.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$52.6 R$268

62.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$75.1 R$383

-22.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$93.2 R$475

46.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$78.3 R$399

31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$284 R$1,448

273.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$237 R$1,210

186.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$474 R$2,415

324.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$466 R$2,378

150.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,494 R$7,617

175.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$663 R$3,380

156.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$581 R$2,961

14.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.17

7.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $284 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 15% 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 Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $187 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maceio - Alagoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $284 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $809 in Maceio - Alagoas – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maceio - Alagoas is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.