Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Franco da Rocha

For one person, living is cheaper in Franco da Rocha: $890 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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 Franco da Rocha
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Franco da Rocha Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Franco da Rocha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Franco da Rocha

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 Franco da Rocha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $890 in Franco da Rocha.

Medellin $1,639
Franco da Rocha $890

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,429 in Franco da Rocha.

Medellin $2,413
Franco da Rocha $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,969 in Franco da Rocha.

Medellin $3,186
Franco da Rocha $1,969

Living in Medellin is roughly 84% more expensive than in Franco da Rocha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Franco da Rocha is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.52 R$34.87

24.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$37.96 R$203

23.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.26 R$44.19

15.01%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.11 R$11.28

42.65%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.57 R$8.40

14.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.13 R$6.05

24.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.57 R$13.77

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.06 R$21.72

41.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.17 R$6.28

29.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.91 R$10.19

24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.07 R$5.73

65.42%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.47 R$13.21

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.42 R$45.03

21.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.11 R$21.97

140.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.26 R$54.9

36.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.67 R$14.26

48.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.74 R$9.30

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.65 R$8.81

32.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.68 R$8.99

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.27 R$6.80

54.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.27 R$6.78

25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.85 R$4.53

35.29%

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

$2.63 R$14.06

50.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$8.20 R$43.87

66.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.53 R$8.17

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$4.30 R$22.98

-47.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.94 R$5.03

24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$41.14 R$220

88.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.25 R$6.71

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.34 R$7.14

52.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$9.00 R$48.10

-5.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.18 R$6.30

14.41%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$22.5K R$120.5K

51.19%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$31.2K R$167.0K

11.04%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$40.45 R$216

319.41%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$13.60 R$72.7

-0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$16.88 R$90.3

66.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$24.01 R$128

82.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$28.68 R$153

-40.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.51 R$40.17

-7.99%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$405 R$2,164

96.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$7,204 R$38.5K

26.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$52.5 R$281

61.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$54.4 R$291

6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$88.5 R$473

52.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$78.7 R$421

24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$335 R$1,792

260.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$258 R$1,380

148.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$638 R$3,411

217.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$455 R$2,432

122.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,715 R$9,171

143.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,244 R$6,652

53.55%

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 Franco da Rocha: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Franco da Rocha

$258 29% 59.8% $383

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Franco da Rocha

$212 23.8% 28.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Franco da Rocha

$71 8% 66.4% $140

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Franco da Rocha

$134 15.1% 20.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Franco da Rocha

$123 13.9% 27% $46

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Franco da Rocha

$53 5.9% 43.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Franco da Rocha

$39 4.4% 32.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $335 in Franco da Rocha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $38 in Franco da Rocha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $212 per month, with Franco da Rocha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Franco da Rocha

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

17:50 5:50 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

144,849

💱 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 = 3,502 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 Franco da Rocha 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Franco da Rocha

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 Franco da Rocha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $890 in Franco da Rocha, so Franco da Rocha is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,335 in Franco da Rocha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $335 in Franco da Rocha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $890 in Franco da Rocha – Franco da Rocha is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Franco da Rocha runs roughly 47% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $890 in Franco da Rocha versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Franco da Rocha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Franco da Rocha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Franco da Rocha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.