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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $783 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,254 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,724 in Belem.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Belem 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.43 R$22.66

39.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$28.89 R$148

12.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.26 R$32.02

17.25%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.60 R$8.16

7.50%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.93 R$4.73

12.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.47 R$2.38

63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.60 R$8.16

5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.51 R$17.93

-9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.15 R$5.90

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$2.11 R$10.79

-38.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.25 R$6.36

12.00%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.98 R$10.11

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.31 R$52.7

-57.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.95 R$20.18

48.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.71 R$34.28

28.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.71 R$8.74

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.73 R$8.83

-35.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.29 R$6.59

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.46 R$7.47

-7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.92 R$4.72

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.55 R$2.81

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.03 R$5.27

-17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.35 R$6.88

-32.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.49 R$12.74

-6.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.88 R$50.5

25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.31 R$6.70

-8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$4.56 R$23.32

-45.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.74 R$3.80

13.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$21.48 R$110

88.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.11 R$5.67

27.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.74 R$3.79

159.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$8.84 R$45.17

-13.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.04 R$5.30

-4.81%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$16.1K R$82.3K

11.94%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$29.0K R$148.0K

-8.05%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$111 R$568

-27.28%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$14.53 R$74.3

-31.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$21.28 R$109

13.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$21.25 R$109

18.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$21.56 R$110

-11.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.21 R$31.76

-35.91%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$101 R$514

203.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,082 R$15.7K

96.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$32.98 R$169

76.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$28.89 R$148

11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$75.8 R$387

32.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$41.88 R$214

157.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$435 R$2,225

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$188 R$962

99.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$800 R$4,091

5.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$466 R$2,382

56.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,951 R$9,972

64.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,369 R$6,995

0.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$409 R$2,090

50.79%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Belem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $435 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 51% 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 $193 vs $207, 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. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $435 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 89% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $101 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $783 in Belem versus $1,031 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 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.