Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $824 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Contenda

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $824 in Contenda, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Contenda $824

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,240 in Contenda, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Contenda $1,240

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,657 in Contenda, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Contenda $1,657

Medellin costs about 99% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Contenda is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.64 R$19.47

122.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$11.07 R$59.2

325.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.16 R$38.30

32.68%

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

$0.58 R$3.11

143.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.83 R$9.78

73.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.91 R$10.21

201.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.97 R$5.17

55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.51 R$8.05

57.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.24 R$6.64

42.74%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.48 R$13.28

16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$9.24 R$49.43

10.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.78 R$20.23

161.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.25 R$38.74

92.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.27 R$12.13

74.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.14 R$6.08

35.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.10 R$5.91

98.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.28 R$6.86

70.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.97 R$5.16

102.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.85 R$4.53

87.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.73 R$3.89

57.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.66 R$3.52

87.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.75 R$14.69

44.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$3.70 R$19.76

269.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.37 R$7.32

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.82 R$9.73

24.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.95 R$5.06

23.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$42.25 R$226

83.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.14 R$6.12

11.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.89 R$4.74

130.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$9.54 R$51.0

-10.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.15 R$6.13

17.39%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$16.7K R$89.1K

104.50%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$20.6K R$110.2K

68.29%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$80.7 R$431

110.28%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$7.50 R$40.11

80.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$18.24 R$97.5

53.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$24.01 R$128

82.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$25.60 R$137

-32.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.58 R$40.54

-8.84%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$260 R$1,393

205.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$10.2K R$54.7K

-10.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$59.6 R$319

42.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$65.3 R$349

-11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$104 R$556

29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$64.8 R$346

51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$341 R$1,822

254.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$226 R$1,209

183.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$559 R$2,988

262.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$400 R$2,139

152.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,421 R$7,597

193.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$983 R$5,254

94.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.61

3.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Contenda: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Contenda

$226 27.5% 64.7% $415

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Contenda

$170 20.7% 42.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Contenda

$106 12.9% 49.6% $105

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Contenda

$98 11.9% 42.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Contenda

$132 16.1% 21.8% $37

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Contenda

$52 6.3% 44.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Contenda

$39 4.8% 31.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $341 in Contenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $11 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $170 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

18:35 6:35 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,128

💱 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 Contenda 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 99% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,235 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $341 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $260 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $824 in Contenda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Contenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Contenda is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 50% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.