Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Embu das Artes

For one person, living is cheaper in Embu das Artes: $818 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Embu das Artes
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Embu das Artes Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Embu das Artes

🇧🇷 Brazil

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Embu das Artes

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 Embu das Artes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $818 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Embu das Artes $818

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,369 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Embu das Artes $1,369

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,921 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Embu das Artes $1,921

Medellin costs about 100% more than Embu das Artes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Embu das Artes is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.67 R$35.66

21.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$36.97 R$198

27.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.21 R$43.92

15.71%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.10 R$11.20

43.33%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.34 R$7.14

34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.78 R$4.19

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.54 R$13.60

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.11 R$21.99

39.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.11 R$5.94

36.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.78 R$9.50

33.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.07 R$5.70

65.42%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.52 R$13.45

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.55 R$45.69

19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.11 R$21.98

140.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.14 R$54.2

37.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.63 R$14.06

50.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.75 R$9.35

-11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.46 R$7.81

49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.71 R$9.12

27.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.29 R$6.89

51.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.21 R$6.48

31.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.84 R$4.50

36.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.73 R$3.91

69.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.67 R$14.30

48.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$8.59 R$45.95

59.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.54 R$8.21

7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.37 R$12.66

-4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.92 R$4.92

27.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$40.65 R$217

90.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.19 R$6.36

6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.90 R$4.80

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$8.96 R$47.91

-4.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.19 R$6.34

13.45%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$22.1K R$118.0K

54.40%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$32.0K R$170.9K

8.48%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$40.23 R$215

321.70%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$13.36 R$71.4

1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$17.29 R$92.4

62.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$20.87 R$112

109.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$27.47 R$147

-37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.40 R$39.55

-6.62%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$410 R$2,194

94.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$7,047 R$37.7K

29.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$51.0 R$273

66.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$54.2 R$290

7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$90.6 R$484

49.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$78.7 R$421

24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$343 R$1,835

252.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$199 R$1,066

221.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$632 R$3,378

220.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$440 R$2,351

130.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,796 R$9,605

132.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,168 R$6,244

63.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.12

-1.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Embu das Artes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Embu das Artes

$199 24.4% 68.9% $442

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Embu das Artes

$206 25.2% 30.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Embu das Artes

$71 8.7% 66.5% $140

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Embu das Artes

$133 16.2% 21.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Embu das Artes

$123 15.1% 26.9% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Embu das Artes

$50 6.1% 46.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Embu das Artes

$36 4.4% 38% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $343 in Embu das Artes. 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 $37 in Embu das Artes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $206 – making Embu das Artes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Embu das Artes

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

11:10 11:10 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

250,691

💱 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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Medellin Embu das Artes 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Embu das Artes

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 Embu das Artes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $818 in Embu das Artes – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,227 in Embu das Artes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Embu das Artes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $818 in Embu das Artes. That’s a gap of about 100%.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Embu das Artes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Embu das Artes, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Embu das Artes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Embu das Artes is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 100% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.