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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $903 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $1,343 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $1,783 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Medellin costs about 87% more than Fortaleza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Fortaleza is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$5.90 R$30.63

33.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$28.75 R$149

54.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$7.87 R$40.88

18.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.13 R$11.04

36.15%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.14 R$5.95

58.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.61 R$3.17

154.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.12 R$11.02

53.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$3.90 R$20.26

50.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.09 R$5.64

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.92 R$9.96

27.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.09 R$5.67

38.53%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$1.89 R$9.79

47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$7.94 R$41.25

13.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.07 R$21.11

161.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$8.71 R$45.25

67.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.73 R$14.18

45.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.34 R$6.96

2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$0.75 R$3.92

206.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.61 R$8.39

25.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.32 R$6.87

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.10 R$5.73

48.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.93 R$4.83

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.01 R$5.25

23.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$2.07 R$10.73

94.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$6.57 R$34.13

105.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.50 R$7.80

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.56 R$8.10

92.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.93 R$4.83

26.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$19.42 R$101

311.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.38 R$7.14

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.81 R$4.23

162.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$7.10 R$36.87

20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.28 R$6.64

5.47%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$22.5K R$116.8K

25.96%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$30.4K R$157.6K

17.58%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$121 R$626

25.60%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$10.85 R$56.4

20.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$20.14 R$105

60.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$25.49 R$132

81.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$41.46 R$215

-58.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$5.70 R$29.59

12.81%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$192 R$996

335.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$3,733 R$19.4K

138.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$62.7 R$325

42.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$58.6 R$304

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$120 R$622

14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$67.1 R$348

63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$454 R$2,359

109.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$221 R$1,150

201.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$552 R$2,864

266.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$339 R$1,762

238.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$2,575 R$13.4K

43.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,118 R$5,806

41.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$464 R$2,410

34.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.38

-8.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Fortaleza: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $454 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 35% 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 $45.00 in Medellin versus $29.00 in Fortaleza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $191 – making Fortaleza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 87% more than Fortaleza, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $1,355 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 $45.00 in Medellin and $29.00 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 $1,687 in Medellin and $903 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 $903, than in Medellin at $1,687. 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 $903 versus $1,687 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.