Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Belem Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Belem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $772 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,253 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,734 in Belem.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Belem, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Belem 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.43 R$22.39

35.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$28.57 R$145

15.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.16 R$31.15

15.10%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.59 R$8.07

7.55%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.93 R$4.71

18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.44 R$2.20

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.60 R$8.12

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.70 R$18.74

-17.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.16 R$5.86

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$2.10 R$10.63

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.23 R$6.24

12.20%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.02 R$10.21

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.65 R$53.9

-58.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.88 R$19.61

45.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$6.50 R$32.88

36.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.69 R$8.55

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.66 R$8.40

-36.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.23 R$6.25

21.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.45 R$7.35

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.92 R$4.66

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.56 R$2.84

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.03 R$5.22

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.34 R$6.78

-37.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.38 R$12.04

-4.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.65 R$48.83

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.36 R$6.88

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$4.43 R$22.42

-44.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.69 R$3.48

24.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$21.60 R$109

91.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.05 R$5.30

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.72 R$3.62

172.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$9.12 R$46.14

-15.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.08 R$5.46

-12.04%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$16.2K R$81.7K

12.24%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$28.9K R$146.3K

-8.38%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$110 R$557

-25.33%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$14.40 R$72.8

-34.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$21.23 R$107

14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$20.77 R$105

24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$21.71 R$110

-12.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.32 R$31.99

-37.82%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$97.4 R$493

217.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,133 R$15.9K

90.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$32.96 R$167

77.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$28.72 R$145

12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$75.0 R$379

36.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$41.69 R$211

160.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$442 R$2,237

7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$185 R$938

104.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$815 R$4,123

2.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$457 R$2,314

58.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,996 R$10.1K

39.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,420 R$7,186

-14.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$392 R$1,982

30.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.2

10.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belem: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $442 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Belem. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $206, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 31% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $442 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 92% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $97.4 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $772 in Belem versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.