Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Assis

For one person, living is cheaper in Assis: $815 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Assis
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Assis Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Assis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Assis

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 Assis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $815 in Assis.

Medellin $1,692
Assis $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,321 in Assis.

Medellin $2,471
Assis $1,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,826 in Assis.

Medellin $3,249
Assis $1,826

Living in Medellin is roughly 108% more expensive than in Assis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Assis is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$8.32 R$45.67

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$37.86 R$208

22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$5.43 R$29.80

74.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.62 R$8.89

93.21%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.92 R$5.06

92.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.72 R$3.94

97.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.10 R$6.02

186.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.83 R$10.02

211.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$0.89 R$4.90

71.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$1.32 R$7.24

73.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$1.22 R$6.68

59.02%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$1.43 R$7.86

114.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$7.14 R$39.17

39.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.15 R$22.77

151.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$8.24 R$45.20

69.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.26 R$12.42

79.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.13 R$6.23

35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$1.15 R$6.29

82.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.80 R$9.89

27.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.31 R$7.20

61.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$0.97 R$5.30

76.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$0.88 R$4.82

32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.94 R$5.14

68.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.20 R$12.05

77.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$5.86 R$32.19

139.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.13 R$6.21

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$1.87 R$10.25

44.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.95 R$5.19

24.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$42.30 R$232

80.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$1.28 R$7.04

41.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$1.32 R$7.22

61.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$7.61 R$41.77

6.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.15 R$6.34

11.30%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$22.3K R$122.4K

54.44%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$30.5K R$167.7K

11.74%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$77.8 R$427

128.39%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$11.13 R$61.1

24.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$17.79 R$97.6

72.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$24.48 R$134

71.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$26.32 R$144

-36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$6.41 R$35.20

16.54%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$198 R$1,085

299.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$7,340 R$40.3K

67.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$46.80 R$257

84.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$37.82 R$208

56.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$79.9 R$439

73.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$50.7 R$278

95.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$330 R$1,810

306.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$229 R$1,258

190.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$623 R$3,420

217.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$453 R$2,488

127.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,599 R$8,774

156.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,128 R$6,192

71.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$567 R$3,111

13.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.38

-11.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Assis: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Assis

$229 28.1% 65.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Assis

$173 21.2% 43.7% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Assis

$107 13.1% 52% $116

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Assis

$118 14.5% 31.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Assis

$97 11.9% 43.8% $75

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Assis

$54 6.6% 42.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Assis

$37 4.6% 34.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $330 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 14% 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 $38 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $173 per month, with Assis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Assis

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

101,409

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Assis 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Assis

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 Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assis is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $330 in Assis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 45% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $198 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Assis versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.