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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $830 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,266 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,702 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than in Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Maceio - Alagoas 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.82 R$24.56

27.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$21.50 R$109

51.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.34 R$27.20

37.45%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.82 R$9.26

-5.49%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.03 R$5.27

1.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.43 R$2.17

79.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.41 R$7.19

19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.56 R$13.05

23.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.06 R$5.40

-0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.29 R$6.57

0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.95 R$4.86

47.37%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.24 R$11.39

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.83 R$34.75

-35.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.43 R$17.46

71.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.28 R$37.05

18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.45 R$12.46

-6.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.07 R$5.45

3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.29 R$6.55

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.29 R$6.58

4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.33 R$6.75

-15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.14 R$5.79

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.58 R$2.94

46.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.61 R$3.11

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.90 R$9.65

23.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.87 R$34.96

80.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.38 R$7.01

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.29 R$6.56

93.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.75 R$3.80

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$38.89 R$198

4.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.37 R$1.89

283.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.33 R$1.68

481.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.00 R$30.56

27.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.06 R$5.39

-6.60%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$25.2K R$128.4K

-28.49%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$30.0K R$152.6K

-11.14%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$72.8 R$370

11.06%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$17.05 R$86.8

-41.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$15.60 R$79.4

55.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$22.59 R$115

11.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$21.49 R$109

-10.89%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.32 R$27.09

-25.19%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$236 R$1,202

29.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,767 R$24.3K

27.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$49.21 R$251

18.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$67.7 R$345

-52.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$91.6 R$466

10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$72.0 R$366

49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$251 R$1,278

89.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$247 R$1,259

52.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$538 R$2,742

56.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$409 R$2,081

78.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,463 R$7,446

119.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$686 R$3,495

99.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$573 R$2,915

7.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.5

41.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $251 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 8% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $165 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $251 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $830 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,031 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 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.