Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Marilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $787 in Marilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,259 in Marilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,730 in Marilia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Marilia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Marilia 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$5.27 R$26.81

13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$26.82 R$136

22.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.40 R$32.57

15.94%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.81 R$9.21

-8.84%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.13 R$5.76

-5.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.63 R$3.20

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.77 R$8.98

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.65 R$13.46

20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.03 R$5.26

1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$2.01 R$10.21

-34.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.97 R$4.93

38.14%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.82 R$9.25

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$9.00 R$45.78

-51.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$3.71 R$18.86

53.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$6.44 R$32.79

32.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.12 R$10.80

10.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.92 R$4.67

20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.14 R$5.81

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.50 R$7.62

-8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.19 R$6.06

-3.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.10 R$5.57

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.73 R$3.73

15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.66 R$3.33

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.11 R$10.75

7.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$7.98 R$40.62

45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.22 R$6.21

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.01 R$10.23

23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.90 R$4.60

-12.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$38.95 R$198

4.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.10 R$5.57

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.71 R$3.64

170.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$6.46 R$32.89

20.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.98 R$5.01

3.06%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$21.0K R$106.7K

-15.77%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$27.5K R$140.0K

-3.87%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$61.0 R$310

32.97%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$13.70 R$69.7

-31.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$18.84 R$95.8

26.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$22.14 R$113

17.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$21.43 R$109

-12.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$6.35 R$32.28

-35.59%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$267 R$1,358

17.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$6,545 R$33.3K

-7.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$48.66 R$248

22.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$41.32 R$210

-22.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$76.8 R$391

31.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$63.9 R$325

64.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$314 R$1,597

54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$218 R$1,108

67.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$586 R$2,982

41.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$437 R$2,223

67.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,550 R$7,886

93.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,126 R$5,731

16.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$388 R$1,976

41.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Marilia: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $314 in Marilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 42% 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 $27.00 in Marilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $177 per month, with Marilia 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 Marilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marilia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 42% more on average, 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: $485 in Medellin versus $314 in Marilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Marilia runs roughly 5% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $267 in Marilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $787 in Marilia versus $1,028 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.

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.

Expats usually find Marilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.