Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Contagem vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Contagem $776
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Contagem vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Contagem $1,248
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,719 per month in Contagem vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Contagem $1,719
Medellin $3,199

Contagem is about 52% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Contagem sits 43% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-29.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-35.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-23.48%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$3.05 COP 9,676

-44.59%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.80 COP 5,707

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$1.38 COP 4,382

-55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-54.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.50 COP 4,760

-36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$2.37 COP 7,508

-22.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.70 COP 5,377

-20.59%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$2.96 COP 9,379

-32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-65.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-45.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-54.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.53 COP 4,839

-20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$2.22 COP 7,052

-56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$2.27 COP 7,194

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.99 COP 6,311

-45.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.67 COP 5,285

-42.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$1.18 COP 3,742

-28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.24 COP 3,919

-33.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-58.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-57.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.66 COP 5,256

-43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.40 COP 7,615

-41.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$1.24 COP 3,944

16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$78.2 COP 248.0K

1.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.28 COP 4,044

-11.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$2.15 COP 6,803

-66.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-24.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.35 COP 4,288

-5.19%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-32.58%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-7.29%

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

$77.6 R$393

$167 COP 528.4K

-53.45%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-33.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-40.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$17.18 COP 54.5K

38.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$6.97 COP 22.1K

0.72%

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

$143 R$725

$790 COP 2.5M

-81.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-71.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-15.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$139 COP 440.7K

-51.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-51.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-78.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$620 COP 2.0M

-75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-74.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-68.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-49.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-41.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$663 COP 2.1M

-60.40%

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 Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 69% $122

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 303% $466

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 58.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 95.7% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 71.2% $72

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 6% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 44.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Contagem versus $1,028 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 153% 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 $30.00 in Contagem versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $298 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

2 h behind Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Contagem Medellin 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
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

Contagem vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Contagem and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Contagem and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – 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 Contagem. 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.