Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Armacao dos Buzios Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Armacao dos Buzios

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $797 in Armacao dos Buzios, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,253 in Armacao dos Buzios, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,708 in Armacao dos Buzios, rent included.

Medellin costs about 27% more than Armacao dos Buzios, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Armacao dos Buzios are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Armacao dos Buzios 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$5.38 R$26.90

11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$17.95 R$89.8

83.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.38 R$26.92

31.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.50 R$7.49

14.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.92 R$4.61

19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.91 R$4.57

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.11 R$5.55

51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.17 R$10.86

41.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.88 R$4.39

23.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.76 R$8.83

-28.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.01 R$5.08

36.63%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.46 R$7.29

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.82 R$39.12

-43.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.61 R$18.08

55.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$8.26 R$41.32

7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.41 R$12.06

-2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.63 R$8.17

-34.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.45 R$7.25

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.48 R$7.43

-6.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.70 R$3.52

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.16 R$5.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.67 R$3.36

32.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.57 R$2.84

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.00 R$9.99

14.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$9.07 R$45.40

17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.22 R$6.11

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.11 R$10.54

17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.92 R$4.62

-6.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$37.77 R$189

9.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.12 R$5.60

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.66 R$3.32

196.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$7.50 R$37.55

3.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.10 R$5.49

-13.64%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$20.3K R$101.8K

-10.84%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$27.4K R$137.1K

-3.31%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$104 R$522

-21.07%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$12.26 R$61.4

-22.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$18.61 R$93.1

30.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$22.30 R$112

16.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$21.89 R$110

-13.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.53 R$32.70

-39.82%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$552 R$2,761

-43.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$11.5K R$57.6K

-48.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$45.99 R$230

27.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$42.35 R$212

-23.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$74.7 R$374

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$61.7 R$309

75.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$318 R$1,591

49.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$220 R$1,099

72.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$573 R$2,866

46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$437 R$2,188

65.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,685 R$8,431

65.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,014 R$5,074

19.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.33

18.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Armacao dos Buzios: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $318 in Armacao dos Buzios. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Armacao dos Buzios. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $180 – making Armacao dos Buzios the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Armacao dos Buzios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,013 in Medellin, $797 in Armacao dos Buzios – roughly 27% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,196 in Armacao dos Buzios. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 5% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Armacao dos Buzios. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Armacao dos Buzios, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Armacao dos Buzios it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $797 in Armacao dos Buzios to $1,013 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Armacao dos Buzios. 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.