Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caxias do Sul and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Caxias do Sul: $817 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Caxias do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$817
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caxias do Sul 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 Caxias do Sul and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $817 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $817
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,379 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $1,379
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Caxias do Sul $1,941
  • Medellin $3,190

Caxias do Sul is about 49% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caxias do Sul sits 39% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.97 R$35.32
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-12.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.56 R$195
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-16.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 R$35.43
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-26.42%
Cappuccino
$1.94 R$9.82
$3.11 COP 9,866
-37.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.18
$1.83 COP 5,800
-22.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 R$5.58
$1.38 COP 4,360
-20.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 R$11.42
$3.05 COP 9,672
-26.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 R$15.07
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-46.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 R$4.51
$1.45 COP 4,600
-38.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 R$8.40
$2.36 COP 7,496
-29.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 R$5.77
$1.68 COP 5,328
-32.14%
Eggs
$2.00 R$10.12
$2.86 COP 9,077
-30.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 R$51.8
$10.19 COP 32.3K
0.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.88 R$24.76
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-48.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.20 R$51.7
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-27.35%
Apples (1kg)
$1.56 R$7.93
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-61.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.55
$1.50 COP 4,742
-27.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.58 R$2.95
$2.17 COP 6,891
-73.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 R$8.42
$2.31 COP 7,310
-28.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 R$4.96
$1.93 COP 6,113
-49.22%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 R$3.41
$1.64 COP 5,196
-59.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.79 R$3.99
$1.13 COP 3,571
-30.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 R$3.71
$1.25 COP 3,954
-41.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.55 R$12.91
$3.99 COP 12.6K
-36.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.96 R$20.09
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-70.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 R$5.67
$1.70 COP 5,384
-34.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 R$11.35
$2.37 COP 7,525
-5.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 R$7.11
$1.21 COP 3,827
15.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.70 R$222
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-42.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 R$6.46
$1.32 COP 4,179
-3.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 R$4.12
$2.14 COP 6,774
-62.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 R$40.94
$8.47 COP 26.8K
-4.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.60
$1.30 COP 4,114
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K R$120.4K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-15.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K R$169.7K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-5.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.6 R$363
$172 COP 545.6K
-58.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.57 R$63.7
$13.37 COP 42.4K
-5.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.36 R$113
$28.73 COP 91.1K
-22.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.54 R$135
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-41.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$59.0 R$299
$17.04 COP 54.0K
246.36%
Cinema Ticket
$7.48 R$37.94
$6.28 COP 19.9K
19.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$406 R$2,056
$770 COP 2.4M
-47.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K R$122.7K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
168.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 R$255
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-41.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.75 R$186
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-35.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 R$512
$137 COP 432.9K
-26.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 R$404
$97.9 COP 310.4K
-18.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$272 R$1,378
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-74.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$184 R$932
$616 COP 2.0M
-70.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$701 R$3,554
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-62.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$429 R$2,173
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-58.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,769 R$8,967
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-56.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,226 R$6,217
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-26.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caxias do Sul
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$565 R$2,862
$652 COP 2.1M
-13.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
10.94
5.12%

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

Last update for Caxias do Sul: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Caxias do Sul
$184
Medellin
$616 235% $432
Groceries & Markets
Caxias do Sul
$183
Medellin
$295 61.1% $112
Eating Out
Caxias do Sul
$127
Medellin
$168 32.4% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Caxias do Sul
$120
Medellin
$170 41.2% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caxias do Sul
$106
Medellin
$214 101% $108
Getting Around
Caxias do Sul
$55
Medellin
$93 70.8% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Caxias do Sul
$42
Medellin
$58 39.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Caxias do Sul versus $1,055 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 run about 16% higher in Medellin, 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 $39.00 in Caxias do Sul versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $295 – making Caxias do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Caxias do Sul
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
12:22 12:22 PM
10:22 10:22 AM
2 h behind Caxias do Sul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,501
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caxias do Sul Medellin 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Caxias do Sul
  • 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
Caxias do Sul vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Caxias do Sul and in Medellin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $817 in Caxias do Sul, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Caxias do Sul compared to Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Caxias do Sul and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Caxias do Sul and Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caxias do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Caxias do Sul and in Medellin?
Public transport costs about 75% less in Caxias do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Caxias do Sul and Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Caxias do Sul and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caxias do Sul, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Caxias do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Caxias do Sul and Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Caxias do Sul to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Caxias do Sul and Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Caxias do Sul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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