Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Beira

For one person, living is cheaper in Beira: $382 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Beira

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Beira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $382 in Beira.

Medellin $1,614
Beira $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $726 in Beira.

Medellin $2,402
Beira $726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,071 in Beira.

Medellin $3,190
Beira $1,071

Living in Medellin is roughly 323% more expensive than in Beira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Beira is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$12.50 MZN 791

-36.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$46.40 MZN 2,935

-0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.11 MZN 197

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.19 MZN 75.2

53.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.15 MZN 72.8

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.30 MZN 82.0

134.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$1.99 MZN 126

176.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.63 MZN 103

-11.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.30 MZN 18.76

686.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.51 MZN 95.8

11.26%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.87 MZN 118

52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.80 MZN 240

150.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$4.59 MZN 291

205.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.31 MZN 146

76.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.32 MZN 147

-35.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.32 MZN 146

-6.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.24 MZN 78.4

86.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.22 MZN 77.3

58.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.99 MZN 62.4

65.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.32 MZN 147

-51.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.71 MZN 45.10

76.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$0.96 MZN 60.7

315.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$8.33 MZN 527

60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.04 MZN 65.8

63.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.80 MZN 240

-37.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.75 MZN 47.74

76.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.40 MZN 88.6

-7.14%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$90.1 MZN 5,699

754.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$19.15 MZN 1,211

351.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$38.82 MZN 2,455

47.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$38.78 MZN 2,453

252.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$46.72 MZN 2,955

109.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Beira: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Beira

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Beira

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Beira

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Beira

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Beira

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Beira

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Beira

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Beira. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $159, with Beira cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇿 Beira

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

436,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Beira 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Beira

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 Beira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Beira differ by about 323% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $382 including rent). Beira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $573 in Beira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $382 in Beira – a 323% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $382 in Beira versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Beira but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Beira 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 Beira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 323% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.