Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mindelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $387 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mindelo

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 Mindelo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $387 in Mindelo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Mindelo $387

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $897 in Mindelo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Mindelo $897

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,406 in Mindelo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Mindelo $1,406

Medellin costs about 323% more than Mindelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Mindelo is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$8.83 CVE 874

-8.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$56.9 CVE 5,632

-17.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.11 CVE 110

171.17%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.26 CVE 124

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.03 CVE 102

36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.73 CVE 271

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.49 CVE 148

285.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.44 CVE 142

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.10 CVE 109

116.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.79 CVE 78.6

124.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$2.52 CVE 250

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$15.86 CVE 1,571

-35.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$17.60 CVE 1,743

-20.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$2.23 CVE 221

78.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.95 CVE 193

-20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$2.92 CVE 289

-25.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$2.99 CVE 296

-27.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.77 CVE 76.3

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$1.64 CVE 162

-3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$1.04 CVE 103

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.71 CVE 70.3

74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$5.04 CVE 499

-21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$8.10 CVE 802

68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.89 CVE 188

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$2.05 CVE 203

10.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.41 CVE 40.48

185.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$30.74 CVE 3,044

151.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.51 CVE 149

-15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.48 CVE 146

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$10.18 CVE 1,009

-16.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.75 CVE 173

-22.86%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$3.01 CVE 299

471.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$361 CVE 35.8K

460.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$251 CVE 24.9K

302.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mindelo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Mindelo

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Mindelo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Mindelo

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Mindelo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Mindelo

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Mindelo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Mindelo

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $57 in Mindelo. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $237 in Mindelo – so Mindelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

04:04 4:04 AM

4 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

70,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.1 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 99.04 CVE (100 CVE = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Mindelo 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mindelo

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 Mindelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 323%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $581 in Mindelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Mindelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $387 in Mindelo to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.