Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duque de Caxias and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Duque de Caxias: $754 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Duque de Caxias
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Duque de Caxias Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Duque de Caxias

🇧🇷 Brazil

$754

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $754 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Duque de Caxias $754
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,296 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Duque de Caxias $1,296
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,839 per month in Duque de Caxias vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Duque de Caxias $1,839
Medellin $3,249

Duque de Caxias is about 55% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Duque de Caxias sits 44% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.59 R$36.19

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-20.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.94 R$203

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-20.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 R$43.14

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$11.46

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-33.23%

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

$1.37 R$7.53

$1.77 COP 5,728

-22.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.30

$1.42 COP 4,620

-32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 R$10.81

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 R$17.84

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-42.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.88

$1.53 COP 4,971

-30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 R$9.96

$2.29 COP 7,431

-20.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.81

$1.94 COP 6,308

-45.36%

Eggs

$2.13 R$11.68

$3.07 COP 9,945

-30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 R$44.98

$9.99 COP 32.4K

-17.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 R$22.71

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-60.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.90 R$48.83

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 R$13.82

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-37.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.94

$1.53 COP 4,957

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.32

$2.10 COP 6,825

-27.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R$9.53

$2.29 COP 7,439

-24.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.16

$2.11 COP 6,841

-46.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.44

$1.71 COP 5,543

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.83

$1.17 COP 3,795

-40.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.28

$1.58 COP 5,125

-62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 R$13.73

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-36.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 R$41.57

$14.04 COP 45.6K

-46.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$6.13

$1.76 COP 5,714

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 R$12.14

$2.71 COP 8,796

-18.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$5.34

$1.18 COP 3,826

-17.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.19 R$232

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-44.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.43

$1.81 COP 5,860

-35.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 R$6.77

$2.13 COP 6,906

-42.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 R$37.31

$8.13 COP 26.4K

-16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.40

$1.28 COP 4,136

-8.59%

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

$21.7K R$119.3K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-36.90%

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

$30.9K R$169.7K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-9.40%

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

$45.63 R$250

$178 COP 576.4K

-74.33%

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

$9.89 R$54.3

$13.89 COP 45.0K

-28.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.20 R$94.4

$30.74 COP 99.7K

-44.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.82 R$131

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-43.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.25 R$144

$16.80 COP 54.5K

56.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 R$39.74

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-3.08%

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

$393 R$2,159

$790 COP 2.6M

-50.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,949 R$38.1K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-43.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.02 R$209

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-55.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.08 R$247

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-23.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$495

$138 COP 448.7K

-34.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 R$421

$98.8 COP 320.5K

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,532

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 R$874

$667 COP 2.2M

-76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 R$4,006

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-63.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R$2,278

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-59.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,182 R$6,487

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-71.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$538 R$2,953

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-72.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 R$1,505

$646 COP 2.1M

-57.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

10.94

1.65%

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

Last update for Duque de Caxias: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duque de Caxias

$191 25.3%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 60.8% $116

Accommodation & Living

Duque de Caxias

$159 21.1%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 319% $508

Eating Out

Duque de Caxias

$127 16.9%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 35.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Duque de Caxias

$113 14.9%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 53.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duque de Caxias

$73 9.6%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 206% $150

Getting Around

Duque de Caxias

$53 7.1%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 75% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Duque de Caxias

$38 5.1%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 48.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Duque de Caxias 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 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Duque de Caxias versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $307 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Duque de Caxias

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

2 h behind Duque de Caxias

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

808,161

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duque de Caxias Medellin 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Duque de Caxias
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

Duque de Caxias vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 124% more than Duque de Caxias, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,132 per month in Duque de Caxias 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 Duque de Caxias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $279 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Duque de Caxias and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Duque de Caxias – 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 Duque de Caxias. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.