Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Blumenau - Santa Catarina

For one person, living is cheaper in Blumenau - Santa Catarina: $954 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Blumenau - Santa Catarina
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Blumenau - Santa Catarina Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Blumenau - Santa Catarina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Blumenau - Santa Catarina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $954 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina.

Medellin $1,639
Blumenau - Santa Catarina $954

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,534 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina.

Medellin $2,413
Blumenau - Santa Catarina $1,534

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,113 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina.

Medellin $3,186
Blumenau - Santa Catarina $2,113

Living in Medellin is roughly 72% more expensive than in Blumenau - Santa Catarina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Blumenau - Santa Catarina is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.45 R$34.50

25.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$42.27 R$226

11.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.59 R$40.58

25.16%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.23 R$11.92

34.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.26 R$6.74

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.78 R$4.18

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.77 R$14.82

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.36 R$17.95

71.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.86 R$4.59

75.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.51 R$8.10

57.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.17 R$6.24

51.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.86 R$9.93

55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$9.28 R$49.60

9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.11 R$21.96

140.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.56 R$40.44

85.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.11 R$11.27

88.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.95 R$5.07

63.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.44 R$7.71

51.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.55 R$8.26

40.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.49 R$7.98

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.08 R$5.78

47.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.76 R$4.04

51.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.80 R$4.27

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.07 R$11.09

91.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$7.64 R$40.85

79.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.67 R$8.91

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.86 R$20.62

-41.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.09 R$5.84

7.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$54.0 R$289

43.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.28 R$6.86

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.50 R$2.67

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$2.71 R$14.51

215.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.20 R$6.42

12.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$21.7K R$116.1K

56.92%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$30.5K R$163.2K

13.61%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$112 R$601

50.99%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$11.74 R$62.8

15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$21.03 R$112

33.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$23.65 R$126

84.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$18.49 R$98.9

-7.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.86 R$31.34

17.92%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$381 R$2,036

109.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$6,729 R$36.0K

35.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$69.4 R$371

22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$38.55 R$206

50.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$109 R$584

23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$92.5 R$494

5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$374 R$1,999

223.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$255 R$1,366

151.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$721 R$3,855

181.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$539 R$2,884

87.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,624 R$8,685

156.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,271 R$6,794

50.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$719 R$3,847

-8.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.27

6.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Blumenau - Santa Catarina: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$255 26.8% 60.2% $386

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$187 19.6% 37% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$145 15.2% 31.3% $66

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$130 13.6% 23.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$139 14.6% 17.5% $30

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$62 6.5% 33.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Blumenau - Santa Catarina

$35 3.7% 38.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $374 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Blumenau - Santa Catarina pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $42 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $187 per month, with Blumenau - Santa Catarina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Blumenau - Santa Catarina

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

13:04 1:04 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

361,261

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Blumenau - Santa Catarina 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Blumenau - Santa Catarina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Blumenau - Santa Catarina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Blumenau - Santa Catarina differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $954 including rent). Blumenau - Santa Catarina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $374 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Blumenau - Santa Catarina – a meal for two runs $42 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $954 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Blumenau - Santa Catarina versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Blumenau - Santa Catarina but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Blumenau - Santa Catarina 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 Blumenau - Santa Catarina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.