Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Governador Valadares Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Governador Valadares

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $674 in Governador Valadares.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,103 in Governador Valadares.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,531 in Governador Valadares.

Living in Medellin is roughly 149% more expensive than in Governador Valadares, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Governador Valadares is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.54 R$23.27

76.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$27.44 R$141

74.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.64 R$34.04

48.95%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.99 R$10.19

57.29%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.02 R$5.21

87.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.40 R$2.07

277.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.52 R$7.80

105.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.35 R$12.05

144.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.96 R$4.93

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.43 R$7.34

74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.36 R$6.98

30.15%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.12 R$10.89

39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$7.09 R$36.35

42.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.74 R$19.19

170.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$5.98 R$30.65

139.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.89 R$9.66

119.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.18 R$6.07

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.15 R$5.88

95.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.63 R$8.34

38.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.11 R$5.67

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.00 R$5.15

54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.75 R$3.82

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.75 R$3.85

74.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$1.49 R$7.62

161.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$5.92 R$30.33

136.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.11 R$5.71

56.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.49 R$12.74

15.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.93 R$4.74

31.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$28.69 R$147

180.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.01 R$5.19

29.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.55 R$2.83

298.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.24 R$31.98

39.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.15 R$5.89

19.13%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$19.5K R$100.0K

42.59%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$26.5K R$135.8K

34.98%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$53.5 R$274

231.40%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$7.68 R$39.33

80.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$20.30 R$104

46.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$20.45 R$105

119.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$29.66 R$152

-42.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$7.70 R$39.46

-13.64%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$138 R$708

488.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$13.5K R$69.4K

-32.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$27.60 R$141

224.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$43.02 R$220

37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$96.6 R$495

43.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$69.9 R$358

46.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$231 R$1,186

358.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$142 R$729

366.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$413 R$2,118

356.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$315 R$1,615

225.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,366 R$7,000

206.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,444 R$7,399

15.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$345 R$1,767

96.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.25

-2.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Governador Valadares: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $231 in Governador Valadares. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 97% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Governador Valadares for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $165 per month, with Governador Valadares 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 Governador Valadares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Governador Valadares is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $231 in Governador Valadares. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Governador Valadares – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $674 in Governador Valadares versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Governador Valadares but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Governador Valadares the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Governador Valadares is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Governador Valadares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.