Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Marilia: $685 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Marilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$685
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Marilia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Marilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $685 in Marilia.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Marilia $685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,056 in Marilia.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Marilia $1,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,427 in Marilia.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Marilia $1,427

Living in Medellin is roughly 136% more expensive than in Marilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Marilia is 49% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$4.93 R$24.97
60.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$14.30 R$72.5
222.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$8.49 R$43.06
11.90%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$1.99 R$10.09
56.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$1.23 R$6.23
48.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$0.82 R$4.16
68.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$1.03 R$5.20
196.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$2.77 R$14.05
98.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.16 R$5.88
25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$2.31 R$11.73
2.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$1.06 R$5.37
58.49%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$2.07 R$10.47
38.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$7.84 R$39.74
29.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$4.12 R$20.90
131.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$7.06 R$35.79
98.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$2.04 R$10.33
99.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.03 R$5.20
45.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$0.83 R$4.20
161.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$0.77 R$3.89
200.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$0.92 R$4.67
109.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.01 R$5.13
62.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$0.57 R$2.91
98.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.39 R$1.97
220.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$2.05 R$10.42
94.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$8.97 R$45.48
48.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$0.58 R$2.93
193.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$1.96 R$9.93
20.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$1.13 R$5.73
7.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$1.29 R$6.52
2.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$0.94 R$4.79
127.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$4.04 R$20.49
109.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.02 R$5.17
27.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$35.3K R$179.2K
-20.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$26.4K R$133.6K
34.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$50.0 R$254
244.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$11.17 R$56.6
19.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$22.96 R$116
25.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$23.70 R$120
90.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$14.20 R$72.0
20.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$6.06 R$30.72
3.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$207 R$1,051
271.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$7,577 R$38.4K
18.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$43.35 R$220
99.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$59.1 R$299
-3.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$85.3 R$433
59.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$59.4 R$301
64.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$306 R$1,550
244.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$163 R$825
278.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$591 R$2,996
220.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$296 R$1,499
245.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$998 R$5,060
306.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$509 R$2,583
229.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Marilia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$406 R$2,060
60.57%
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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Marilia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Marilia
$163 73.6% $453
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Marilia
$173 41.4% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Marilia
$84 60.7% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Marilia
$111 34.6% $59
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Marilia
$108 36.1% $61
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Marilia
$11 * 88.7% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Marilia
$36 38% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $306 in Marilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 61% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Marilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $173 per month, with Marilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇧🇷 Marilia
🕒 Local time
04:20 4:20 AM
06:20 6:20 AM
2 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
237,627
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Marilia 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Marilia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Marilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Marilia cheaper than Medellin?
Marilia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Medellin or Marilia?
Average pay runs 61% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Marilia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $306 in Marilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Marilia?
Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Marilia?
All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $685 in Marilia – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Marilia?
At $685 in Marilia versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Marilia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Marilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Medellin or Marilia more family-friendly?
For families, Marilia 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Marilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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