Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Anapolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Anapolis: $655 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Anapolis, Brazil
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Anapolis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$655
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Anapolis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $655 in Anapolis.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Anapolis $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,092 in Anapolis.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Anapolis $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,529 in Anapolis.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Anapolis $1,529

Living in Medellin is roughly 150% more expensive than in Anapolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Anapolis is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$5.46 R$29.36
48.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$36.97 R$199
27.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$8.09 R$43.54
17.43%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$2.43 R$13.06
23.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.08 R$5.79
66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.77 R$4.12
83.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.83 R$9.87
73.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$3.25 R$17.47
76.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.03 R$5.54
46.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$1.81 R$9.76
31.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$1.29 R$6.93
37.21%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$1.97 R$10.61
46.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$8.55 R$46.02
19.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$3.66 R$19.70
169.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$6.96 R$37.48
101.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.94 R$10.44
104.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.00 R$5.39
55.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.13 R$6.09
92.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$1.05 R$5.63
107.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$1.16 R$6.25
68.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.92 R$4.93
72.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.64 R$3.44
79.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.90 R$4.84
37.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$1.91 R$10.28
107.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$5.49 R$29.52
149.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.18 R$6.37
40.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.35 R$12.65
-3.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.98 R$5.28
29.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.86 R$4.64
138.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$6.00 R$32.26
42.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.19 R$6.39
13.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$22.1K R$118.8K
54.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$31.6K R$170.0K
9.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$56.9 R$306
198.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$9.17 R$49.34
47.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$18.77 R$101
49.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$22.26 R$120
96.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$5.48 R$29.48
26.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$764 R$4,113
4.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$15.6K R$83.9K
-41.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$52.6 R$283
61.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$36.96 R$199
56.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$80.4 R$433
67.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$36.78 R$198
166.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$224 R$1,205
439.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$147 R$789
337.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$508 R$2,734
299.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$336 R$1,807
201.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,208 R$6,499
245.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$899 R$4,839
112.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Anapolis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$506 R$2,725
29.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
12.12
-9.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Anapolis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Anapolis
$147 77.1% $495
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Anapolis
$172 42.1% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Anapolis
$85 59.8% $126
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Anapolis
$120 29.2% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Anapolis
$93 45% $76
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Anapolis
$5.3 * 94.3% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Anapolis
$33 42.3% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $224 in Anapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $37 in Anapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $172 per month, with Anapolis cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇧🇷 Anapolis
🕒 Local time
08:50 8:50 AM
10:50 10:50 AM
2 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
398,869
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Anapolis 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Anapolis

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
Medellin vs Anapolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Anapolis?
Anapolis wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Anapolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Anapolis?
Average pay runs 30% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Anapolis?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $224 in Anapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Anapolis?
Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Anapolis?
All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $655 in Anapolis – Anapolis is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Medellin or in Anapolis?
At $655 in Anapolis versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Anapolis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Anapolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Medellin or Anapolis?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Medellin or to Anapolis?
It comes down to priorities – Anapolis wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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