Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Belo Horizonte versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 45% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belo Horizonte is 31% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 R$29.16

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.36 R$191

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.94

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-13.82%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.18

$2.91 COP 9,149

-24.74%

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

$1.31 R$6.71

$1.94 COP 6,110

-32.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.06

$1.52 COP 4,783

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.24

$3.09 COP 9,721

-34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$17.61

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-39.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.36 COP 4,287

-30.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$8.99

$2.39 COP 7,505

-26.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.20

$1.70 COP 5,346

17.65%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.91

$2.87 COP 9,021

-25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 R$47.02

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 R$20.56

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-62.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 R$36.44

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-51.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R$9.64

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-53.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.73

$1.57 COP 4,940

-28.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.94

$2.13 COP 6,682

-45.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.82

$2.21 COP 6,959

-30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.59

$2.05 COP 6,435

-46.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.07

$1.50 COP 4,728

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$1.19 COP 3,740

-36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.51

$1.16 COP 3,640

-24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.15

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-38.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 R$40.23

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$6.78

$1.58 COP 4,978

-15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.48

$2.83 COP 8,889

-6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 R$6.21

$1.17 COP 3,672

4.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 R$341

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-14.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.28 COP 4,038

-22.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.53

$2.09 COP 6,576

-66.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 R$32.64

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-25.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.47

$1.30 COP 4,080

-2.31%

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

$22.7K R$115.7K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-18.00%

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

$30.7K R$156.6K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-13.51%

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

$74.0 R$377

$176 COP 553.4K

-57.99%

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

$10.56 R$53.8

$13.37 COP 42.0K

-21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$29.89 COP 94.0K

-30.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 R$137

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-40.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.51 R$227

$17.06 COP 53.6K

160.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 R$39.61

$6.20 COP 19.5K

25.32%

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

$447 R$2,280

$793 COP 2.5M

-43.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K R$71.5K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

55.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R$298

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-31.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 R$239

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-19.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$511

$136 COP 428.4K

-26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 R$354

$103 COP 324.1K

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 R$2,820

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,395

$680 COP 2.1M

-59.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 R$4,305

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-58.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 R$2,872

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-51.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,250 R$11.5K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-45.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 R$5,499

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-36.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 R$3,028

$665 COP 2.1M

-10.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

10.94

2.83%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $553 in Belo Horizonte and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% 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: $37.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $303 per month, with Belo Horizonte 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

Belo Horizonte vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belo Horizonte and Medellin differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($949 vs $1,716 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Medellin. 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: $553 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $447 in Belo Horizonte versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.