Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $942 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,528 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,114 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Medellin is roughly 78% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Belo Horizonte is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.70 R$29.36

40.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$37.17 R$192

28.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.62 R$44.38

14.73%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.13 R$10.97

46.95%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.32 R$6.82

44.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.75 R$3.86

101.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.03 R$10.45

53.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.44 R$17.75

67.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.98 R$5.03

46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.79 R$9.22

39.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.03 R$10.44

-12.81%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.24 R$11.57

32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.56 R$49.24

5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.09 R$21.07

147.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.53 R$38.79

89.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.97 R$10.15

110.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.12 R$5.79

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.22 R$6.28

84.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.57 R$8.08

43.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.12 R$5.75

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.00 R$5.14

54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.77 R$3.95

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.84 R$4.31

55.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.45 R$12.63

59.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.91 R$40.75

77.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.38 R$7.13

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.57 R$13.24

11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.16 R$6.00

5.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$66.1 R$341

21.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.00 R$5.16

31.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.74 R$3.82

195.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$6.14 R$31.63

41.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.24 R$6.38

10.48%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.9K R$118.1K

21.39%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$31.5K R$162.2K

13.62%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$74.9 R$386

136.72%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.25 R$52.8

35.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$20.41 R$105

45.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$27.81 R$143

61.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$44.34 R$228

-61.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.96 R$41.02

-16.46%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$442 R$2,279

83.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$13.7K R$70.5K

-32.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$60.1 R$310

48.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$46.79 R$241

26.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$95.6 R$492

44.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$71.0 R$366

43.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$572 R$2,946

85.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$295 R$1,518

124.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$861 R$4,435

119.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$579 R$2,983

77.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,299 R$11.8K

81.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,095 R$5,640

52.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$610 R$3,142

11.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.25

-2.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $572 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 11% 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 $37.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $192 per month, with Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Belo Horizonte differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $942 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $572 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $442 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $942 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.