Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotia and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotia and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $800 per month in Cotia vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,286 per month in Cotia vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,772 per month in Cotia vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Cotia is about 22% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cotia and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Cotia 40% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 R$31.91

$5.92 COP 21.2K

8.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.40 R$166

$33.17 COP 118.7K

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R$36.12

$7.25 COP 25.9K

0.28%

Cappuccino

$1.80 R$8.94

$1.71 COP 6,137

5.26%

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

$1.25 R$6.22

$1.09 COP 3,915

14.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.18

$0.77 COP 2,743

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.00

$1.75 COP 6,254

3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 R$13.97

$3.18 COP 11.4K

-11.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.05

$1.06 COP 3,792

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$7.76

$1.30 COP 4,657

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.31

$1.38 COP 4,926

-7.97%

Eggs

$2.33 R$11.56

$2.21 COP 7,908

5.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 R$41.79

$4.52 COP 16.2K

86.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 R$18.75

$5.80 COP 20.7K

-35.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 R$42.88

$8.97 COP 32.1K

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 R$10.74

$2.29 COP 8,182

-5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$8.94

$1.06 COP 3,791

69.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.03

$1.51 COP 5,411

-6.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.70

$1.36 COP 4,869

13.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.55

$1.16 COP 4,146

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.37

$1.17 COP 4,174

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.72

$0.83 COP 2,960

-9.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.04

$0.85 COP 3,043

-28.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.23

$2.35 COP 8,423

4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 R$47.97

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R$6.72

$1.15 COP 4,133

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.88

$2.47 COP 8,853

-3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.33

$0.79 COP 2,827

10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 R$190

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-8.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 R$4.41

$1.44 COP 5,140

-38.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.52

$1.90 COP 6,793

-62.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 R$43.38

$7.70 COP 27.6K

13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 R$4.99

$1.03 COP 3,680

-2.91%

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

$22.0K R$109.6K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

24.68%

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

$28.1K R$139.8K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

4.12%

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

$47.87 R$238

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-41.21%

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

$13.20 R$65.6

$9.42 COP 33.7K

40.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 R$93.8

$23.77 COP 85.1K

-20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.10 R$110

$25.86 COP 92.6K

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 R$105

$19.34 COP 69.2K

9.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 R$26.54

$4.05 COP 14.5K

31.85%

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

$316 R$1,572

$312 COP 1.1M

1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,979 R$34.7K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

15.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R$255

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-12.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 R$212

$32.82 COP 117.5K

30.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 R$390

$100 COP 359.6K

-21.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 R$353

$106 COP 380.3K

-33.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,588

$490 COP 1.8M

-34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R$1,080

$371 COP 1.3M

-41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 R$2,915

$838 COP 3.0M

-30.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R$2,107

$715 COP 2.6M

-40.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,704 R$8,468

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-42.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 R$5,925

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-14.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

13.43

-18.69%

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

Last update for Cotia: April 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $319 in Cotia versus $490 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Cotia versus $33 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Cotia vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cotia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 29% more than Cotia, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,199 per month in Cotia and $1,544 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Cotia and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $800 in Cotia and $1,030 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotia, where all-in costs run around $800, than in Medellin at $1,030. In Cotia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cotia costs $800 versus $1,030 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cotia. 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.