Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Frio and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
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Cabo Frio Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo Frio and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $625 per month in Cabo Frio vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Cabo Frio $625
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Cabo Frio vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,031
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,438 per month in Cabo Frio vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,438
Medellin $3,249

Cabo Frio is about 63% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cabo Frio sits 54% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 R$30.63

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-33.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 R$153

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-40.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$35.46

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-31.78%

Cappuccino

$1.62 R$8.90

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-48.24%

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

$1.26 R$6.91

$1.77 COP 5,728

-28.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.75

$1.42 COP 4,620

-64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 R$6.20

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-64.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R$9.84

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-68.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 R$4.22

$1.53 COP 4,971

-49.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.72

$2.29 COP 7,431

-38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.19

$1.94 COP 6,308

-60.82%

Eggs

$1.43 R$7.85

$3.07 COP 9,945

-53.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 R$39.49

$9.99 COP 32.4K

-27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 R$17.47

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-69.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 R$50.4

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-34.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.71

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-56.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$6.06

$1.53 COP 4,957

-28.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.95

$2.10 COP 6,825

-57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.50

$2.29 COP 7,439

-48.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.51

$2.11 COP 6,841

-69.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 R$4.14

$1.71 COP 5,543

-56.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 R$2.92

$1.17 COP 3,795

-54.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.94

$1.58 COP 5,125

-65.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 R$8.21

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-61.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 R$30.20

$14.04 COP 45.6K

-60.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.76 COP 5,714

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.24

$2.71 COP 8,796

-51.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.87

$1.18 COP 3,826

5.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$410

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-2.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.81 COP 5,860

-32.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$4.00

$2.13 COP 6,906

-65.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 R$39.72

$8.13 COP 26.4K

-10.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.91

$1.28 COP 4,136

-15.62%

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

$19.7K R$108.2K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-42.75%

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

$28.6K R$156.8K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-16.28%

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

$54.1 R$297

$178 COP 576.4K

-69.57%

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

$7.04 R$38.66

$13.89 COP 45.0K

-49.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 R$69.9

$30.74 COP 99.7K

-58.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.35 R$112

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-51.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 R$24.10

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-41.23%

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

$135 R$740

$790 COP 2.6M

-82.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 R$13.4K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-80.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 R$231

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-51.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 R$205

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-36.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 R$285

$138 COP 448.7K

-62.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.49 R$244

$98.8 COP 320.5K

-54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,295

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-68.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 R$594

$667 COP 2.2M

-83.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 R$3,355

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-69.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,439

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-74.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 R$1,407

$646 COP 2.1M

-60.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

10.94

-2.47%

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

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 104% $157

Accommodation & Living

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 517% $559

Eating Out

Cabo Frio

$100 16%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 73% $73

Getting Around

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 10.6% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 118% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 201% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 95.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Cabo Frio versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.5 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Cabo Frio versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $307 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

2 h behind Cabo Frio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,161

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cabo Frio Medellin 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo Frio
Medellin

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

Cabo Frio vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 171%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Cabo Frio and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $625 in Cabo Frio and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Cabo Frio about 63% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $135 per month in Cabo Frio and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cabo Frio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.