Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Juiz de Fora Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Juiz de Fora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $739 in Juiz de Fora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,172 in Juiz de Fora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,605 in Juiz de Fora.

Living in Medellin is roughly 127% more expensive than in Juiz de Fora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Juiz de Fora is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.71 R$29.44

40.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$28.91 R$149

65.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.81 R$35.11

45.23%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.68 R$8.65

86.31%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.34 R$6.91

42.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.56 R$2.90

169.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.20 R$6.19

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.27 R$11.70

153.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.99 R$5.10

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.54 R$7.96

61.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.34 R$6.88

32.09%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.89 R$9.74

56.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.53 R$43.96

18.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.33 R$17.13

203.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.30 R$47.92

53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.83 R$9.45

126.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.17 R$6.03

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.93 R$4.81

141.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.23 R$6.35

82.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.64 R$3.32

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.84 R$4.31

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.55 R$2.85

112.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.74 R$3.83

77.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.54 R$7.92

153.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.96 R$30.69

135.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.96 R$4.92

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.38 R$7.10

107.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.70 R$3.60

74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$32.29 R$166

149.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.33 R$6.88

-1.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.74 R$3.79

195.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.06 R$41.55

8.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.27 R$6.52

7.87%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$20.6K R$106.0K

35.25%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$30.5K R$157.3K

17.13%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$56.6 R$292

213.36%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.86 R$50.8

40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$18.63 R$96.0

59.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$23.36 R$120

92.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$26.88 R$138

-36.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.59 R$33.96

0.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$139 R$718

483.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,595 R$13.4K

253.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$67.4 R$347

32.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$82.5 R$425

-28.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$66.3 R$342

108.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$46.72 R$241

118.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$303 R$1,563

250.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$189 R$972

251.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$514 R$2,649

267.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$328 R$1,692

212.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$962 R$4,954

335.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$581 R$2,992

188.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$448 R$2,310

51.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.67

2.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Juiz de Fora: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $303 in Juiz de Fora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 51% 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 $29.00 in Juiz de Fora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $169 per month, with Juiz de Fora 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 Juiz de Fora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Juiz de Fora wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Juiz de Fora the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% 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 $303 in Juiz de Fora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Juiz de Fora – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $739 in Juiz de Fora – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $739 in Juiz de Fora versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Juiz de Fora but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Juiz de Fora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Juiz de Fora delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Juiz de Fora hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Juiz de Fora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.