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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,007 in Florianopolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,615 in Florianopolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,224 in Florianopolis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than Florianopolis, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Florianopolis 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.09 R$35.46

-15.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$35.57 R$178

-7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.40 R$32.01

10.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.02 R$10.10

-15.35%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.20 R$6.00

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.77 R$3.84

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.19 R$10.95

-23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.69 R$13.45

14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.95 R$4.74

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.53 R$7.64

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.18 R$5.90

16.95%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.14 R$10.70

2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.51 R$47.60

-53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.43 R$17.19

64.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$8.10 R$40.55

9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.22 R$11.12

5.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.30 R$6.48

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.25 R$6.25

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.90 R$9.49

-27.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.10 R$5.49

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.11 R$5.57

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.87 R$4.34

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.81 R$4.06

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.23 R$11.17

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$9.04 R$45.25

17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.49 R$7.46

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.80 R$14.03

-11.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.11 R$5.57

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$36.07 R$180

14.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.41 R$7.08

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.39 R$6.98

41.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$7.44 R$37.25

4.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.13 R$5.66

-15.93%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$25.6K R$128.2K

-29.24%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$28.8K R$144.4K

-8.19%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$64.7 R$324

27.16%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$14.90 R$74.6

-36.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$20.27 R$101

19.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$33.34 R$167

-22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$18.88 R$94.5

0.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.46 R$37.35

-47.32%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$462 R$2,311

-33.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$9,279 R$46.4K

-35.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$66.5 R$333

-11.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$63.3 R$317

-48.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$83.6 R$418

22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$59.3 R$297

82.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$498 R$2,493

-4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$377 R$1,885

0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$957 R$4,787

-12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$748 R$3,745

-3.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,778 R$13.9K

0.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,569 R$7,850

-22.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$908 R$4,542

-43.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.12

10.81%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Florianopolis: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $498 in Florianopolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florianopolis pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Florianopolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $191 per month, with Medellin 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 1% 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, Florianopolis earns 77% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $498 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 $36.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $1,007 in Florianopolis – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,007 in Florianopolis versus $1,013 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 $1,007 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 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.