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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $920 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,413 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,906 in Belem.

Living in Medellin is roughly 83% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Belem is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.78 R$24.63

67.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$19.78 R$102

142.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.94 R$35.73

42.51%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.01 R$10.38

55.72%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.03 R$5.31

85.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.51 R$2.64

196.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.52 R$7.81

105.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.29 R$11.81

151.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.29 R$6.66

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.41 R$12.41

3.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.29 R$6.65

37.21%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.09 R$10.77

41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.12 R$47.01

10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.46 R$22.96

126.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.59 R$39.10

88.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.23 R$11.47

85.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.38 R$7.10

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.44 R$7.43

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.67 R$8.61

34.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.02 R$5.23

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.61 R$3.12

152.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.29 R$6.62

-9.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.38 R$7.14

-5.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.68 R$13.80

45.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.67 R$49.83

44.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.41 R$7.29

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$4.82 R$24.85

-40.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.88 R$4.52

38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$33.74 R$174

138.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.15 R$5.95

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.19 R$6.16

84.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.21 R$42.29

6.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.25 R$6.46

9.60%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.8K R$117.6K

21.97%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$31.6K R$162.8K

13.19%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$98.3 R$506

80.35%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.06 R$57.0

25.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$30.50 R$157

-2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$21.09 R$109

112.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$38.56 R$199

-55.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.67 R$39.49

-13.30%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$112 R$576

626.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,359 R$17.3K

173.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$31.67 R$163

182.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$43.49 R$224

35.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$81.7 R$421

69.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$65.4 R$337

56.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$531 R$2,733

100.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$275 R$1,415

141.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$860 R$4,429

119.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$517 R$2,665

98.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,952 R$10.1K

114.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,408 R$7,255

18.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$405 R$2,088

67.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.48

-4.70%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Belem: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $531 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 67% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $219 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $531 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 139% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $112 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $920 in Belem versus $1,681 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 83% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.