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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $826 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,294 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,762 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Belo Horizonte 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$6.13 R$31.19

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$31.91 R$162

2.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.59 R$33.57

11.38%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.54 R$7.85

11.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.95 R$4.83

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.60 R$3.07

28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.84 R$9.39

-8.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.04 R$15.49

4.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.89 R$4.54

17.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.50 R$7.64

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.54 R$7.83

-9.09%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.99 R$10.11

8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.22 R$41.83

-46.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.44 R$17.50

70.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.41 R$37.73

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.24 R$11.41

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.29 R$6.59

-13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.11 R$5.65

37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.36 R$6.94

-0.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.07 R$5.44

5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.84 R$4.30

34.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.70 R$3.57

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.68 R$3.46

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.18 R$11.10

7.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$7.56 R$38.49

63.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.07 R$5.45

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.15 R$10.93

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.92 R$4.67

-8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$41.65 R$212

-2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.92 R$4.69

54.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.08 R$5.50

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$7.93 R$40.37

-3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.08 R$5.52

-8.33%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$25.2K R$128.2K

-28.41%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$28.7K R$146.3K

-7.31%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$64.8 R$330

24.80%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$14.22 R$72.4

-30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$20.86 R$106

15.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$23.90 R$122

4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$39.74 R$202

-51.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.39 R$37.60

-46.14%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$369 R$1,877

-17.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,843 R$34.8K

-11.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$52.5 R$267

10.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$36.72 R$187

-12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$71.1 R$362

41.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$65.8 R$335

63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$413 R$2,102

15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$260 R$1,324

44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$698 R$3,555

20.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$453 R$2,307

61.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,288 R$11.6K

40.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,094 R$5,570

25.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$618 R$3,146

-0.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.83

24.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $413 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $173 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $826 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Belo Horizonte. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $413 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $369 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $826 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,031 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 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.