Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fortaleza Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fortaleza

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $825 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,273 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,720 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Medellin costs about 23% more than Fortaleza, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Fortaleza are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Fortaleza 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.29 R$26.76

12.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$34.61 R$175

-3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.13 R$36.09

1.40%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.06 R$10.41

-20.87%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.11 R$5.60

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.62 R$3.16

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.01 R$10.19

-13.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.70 R$18.74

-12.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.10 R$5.56

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.91 R$9.66

-32.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.14 R$5.79

15.79%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.83 R$9.24

24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.09 R$35.91

-38.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.30 R$16.70

78.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.27 R$41.89

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.43 R$12.29

-7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.15 R$5.81

-6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.80 R$4.03

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.51 R$7.64

-5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.25 R$6.34

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.06 R$5.37

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.94 R$4.78

-5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.83 R$4.20

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.09 R$10.57

7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$6.69 R$33.89

65.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.42 R$7.19

-19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.61 R$8.17

47.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.83 R$4.20

1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$30.83 R$156

36.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.09 R$5.52

29.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.75 R$3.81

153.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.07 R$30.75

27.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.11 R$5.60

-9.01%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$20.0K R$101.1K

-11.99%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.6K R$139.8K

-4.07%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$106 R$538

-21.27%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$15.52 R$78.6

-39.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$17.92 R$90.7

34.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$23.01 R$117

10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$42.75 R$216

-55.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.31 R$31.97

-35.02%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$226 R$1,144

38.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$2,145 R$10.9K

179.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$48.98 R$248

18.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$43.90 R$222

-25.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$93.1 R$471

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$58.7 R$297

84.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$313 R$1,583

54.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$196 R$992

93.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$380 R$1,924

120.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$339 R$1,718

113.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,584 R$13.1K

9.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,113 R$5,632

9.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$465 R$2,355

16.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.79

13.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Fortaleza: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $313 in Fortaleza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Fortaleza. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $178 in Fortaleza – so Fortaleza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Fortaleza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 23% more than Fortaleza, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,238 in Fortaleza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fortaleza, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $35.00 in Fortaleza. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $825 in Fortaleza. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fortaleza, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Fortaleza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fortaleza costs $825 versus $1,017 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Fortaleza. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.