Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Florianopolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Florianopolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,243 in Florianopolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,016 in Florianopolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,789 in Florianopolis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than in Florianopolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Florianopolis is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$8.64 R$44.29

-6.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$47.08 R$241

2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.51 R$38.52

25.43%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.41 R$12.36

21.99%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.28 R$6.56

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.04 R$5.33

40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.92 R$14.95

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.44 R$17.65

65.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.06 R$5.43

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.52 R$7.81

57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.30 R$6.65

30.77%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.53 R$12.98

14.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.26 R$47.45

8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.95 R$20.22

152.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$9.44 R$48.40

50.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.35 R$12.04

69.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.21 R$6.20

30.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.49 R$7.66

44.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.62 R$8.31

41.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.07 R$5.48

86.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.95 R$4.88

58.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.79 R$4.05

51.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.68 R$3.48

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.01 R$15.44

27.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$9.76 R$50.1

43.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.48 R$7.60

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.90 R$14.84

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.35 R$6.92

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$81.1 R$416

-3.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.52 R$7.78

-13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.51 R$7.76

43.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$11.92 R$61.1

-30.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.33 R$6.84

2.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.8K R$147.5K

-4.54%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$33.5K R$171.6K

9.16%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$86.2 R$442

95.78%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.30 R$63.0

10.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.49 R$110

31.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.81 R$153

53.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$18.08 R$92.7

-4.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.64 R$39.15

-12.96%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$717 R$3,673

12.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.3K R$52.8K

-10.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$63.1 R$323

38.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$69.4 R$356

-14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$110 R$565

26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$66.7 R$342

53.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$671 R$3,441

59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$483 R$2,474

35.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,321 R$6,769

45.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,037 R$5,317

1.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,790 R$14.3K

47.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,625 R$8,330

4.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$977 R$5,009

-32.97%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Florianopolis: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $671 in Florianopolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florianopolis pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $47.00 in Florianopolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $199 per month, with Florianopolis cheaper across the board.

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 Florianopolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florianopolis wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Florianopolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Florianopolis. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $671 in Florianopolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Florianopolis – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,243 in Florianopolis – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,243 in Florianopolis versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Florianopolis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Florianopolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Florianopolis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Florianopolis hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Florianopolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.