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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $844 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,306 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,769 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Medellin is roughly 20% more expensive than Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Belo Horizonte 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$6.47 R$32.74

-7.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$33.04 R$167

-0.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$6.68 R$33.83

6.14%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$1.55 R$7.85

10.32%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.93 R$4.69

18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.64 R$3.26

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.76 R$8.92

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.01 R$15.24

1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$0.89 R$4.52

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.51 R$7.64

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.59 R$8.03

-13.21%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.94 R$9.84

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.89 R$39.97

-44.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.38 R$17.10

66.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$7.19 R$36.43

23.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$2.17 R$10.98

7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.29 R$6.52

-17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.09 R$5.52

37.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.30 R$6.60

6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.01 R$5.12

13.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.85 R$4.33

36.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.70 R$3.56

27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.67 R$3.41

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$2.11 R$10.67

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.69 R$43.99

22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.07 R$5.42

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$2.14 R$10.82

15.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.96 R$4.87

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$40.86 R$207

1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$0.93 R$4.69

58.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$1.14 R$5.78

71.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$8.33 R$42.19

-7.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.05 R$5.31

-9.52%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$25.5K R$129.0K

-28.82%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$28.9K R$146.1K

-8.21%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$66.0 R$334

24.68%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$14.58 R$73.8

-34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$20.88 R$106

16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$24.00 R$122

7.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$39.35 R$199

-51.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.15 R$36.19

-45.03%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$368 R$1,861

-15.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$6,826 R$34.6K

-12.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$52.5 R$266

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$37.80 R$191

-14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$72.7 R$368

41.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$65.9 R$334

64.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$404 R$2,045

17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$265 R$1,341

42.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$697 R$3,529

20.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$455 R$2,302

59.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,309 R$11.7K

20.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,109 R$5,617

9.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$625 R$3,165

-18.13%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 22% 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 $33.00 in Belo Horizonte. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $172, with Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Belo Horizonte differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $844 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Belo Horizonte earns 22% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $368 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,013 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 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.