Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Canoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Canoas: $768 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Canoas
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Canoas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Canoas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Canoas

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 Canoas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $768 in Canoas.

Medellin $1,639
Canoas $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,186 in Canoas.

Medellin $2,413
Canoas $1,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,604 in Canoas.

Medellin $3,186
Canoas $1,604

Living in Medellin is roughly 114% more expensive than in Canoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Canoas is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$5.68 R$30.39

42.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$18.54 R$99.2

153.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.59 R$35.25

44.16%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.72 R$9.21

75.00%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.98 R$5.22

83.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.44 R$2.36

220.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.11 R$5.92

186.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.52 R$8.13

278.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.79 R$4.20

91.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.18 R$6.32

101.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.69 R$3.71

156.52%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.95 R$10.43

48.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$9.07 R$48.52

12.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.73 R$19.96

164.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.18 R$49.11

52.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.28 R$6.86

210.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.14 R$6.11

35.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.54 R$2.87

303.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.18 R$6.29

84.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.16 R$6.23

68.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.02 R$5.45

55.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.85 R$4.57

35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.53 R$2.86

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.27 R$12.16

74.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$7.35 R$39.29

86.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.76 R$4.06

118.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.02 R$10.80

11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.92 R$4.90

27.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$32.25 R$172

139.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.18 R$6.32

7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.80 R$4.26

156.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$7.63 R$40.78

12.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.16 R$6.22

16.38%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$20.1K R$107.6K

69.35%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$25.4K R$136.0K

36.36%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$70.2 R$376

141.56%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$11.61 R$62.1

16.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$20.77 R$111

35.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$25.57 R$137

70.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$29.54 R$158

-41.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.62 R$30.07

22.95%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$257 R$1,374

210.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$6,686 R$35.7K

36.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$47.91 R$256

76.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$54.2 R$290

6.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$55.8 R$299

141.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$56.4 R$301

73.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$294 R$1,572

310.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$228 R$1,217

181.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$520 R$2,779

290.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$418 R$2,232

142.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,634 R$8,735

155.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,263 R$6,753

51.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Canoas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Canoas

$228 29.7% 64.5% $414

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Canoas

$163 21.2% 45.1% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Canoas

$103 13.4% 51.4% $109

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Canoas

$100 13.1% 40.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Canoas

$96 12.6% 42.9% $73

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Canoas

$41 5.4% 56.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Canoas

$37 4.8% 36% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $294 in Canoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $19 in Canoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $163 per month, with Canoas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Canoas

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

347,657

💱 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 = 3,502 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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Between locations

Medellin Canoas 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Canoas

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 Canoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $768 in Canoas, so Canoas is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,152 in Canoas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $294 in Canoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Canoas runs roughly 58% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $257 in Canoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $768 in Canoas versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Canoas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Canoas 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 Canoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.