Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $818 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Montes Claros
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Montes Claros Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Montes Claros

🇧🇷 Brazil

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Montes Claros

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $818 in Montes Claros, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Montes Claros $818

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,288 in Montes Claros, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Montes Claros $1,288

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,758 in Montes Claros, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Montes Claros $1,758

Medellin costs about 107% more than Montes Claros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Montes Claros is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$3.26 R$17.79

155.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$29.27 R$160

58.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$7.33 R$40.03

29.20%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.81 R$9.87

72.93%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$1.19 R$6.47

48.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.69 R$3.77

105.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.35 R$7.35

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.83 R$15.44

101.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.93 R$5.05

64.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$1.59 R$8.67

44.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$1.15 R$6.29

68.70%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$2.08 R$11.35

47.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$9.47 R$51.7

5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.98 R$21.71

162.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$7.86 R$42.91

77.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.42 R$13.23

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.22 R$6.65

25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.06 R$5.78

98.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.51 R$8.26

51.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.23 R$6.74

71.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.00 R$5.46

71.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.73 R$3.98

60.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.65 R$3.58

143.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.20 R$12.00

77.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$7.21 R$39.39

94.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.25 R$6.82

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.08 R$11.34

30.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.92 R$5.02

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$40.11 R$219

90.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.15 R$6.27

57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.71 R$3.85

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$7.12 R$38.88

14.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$0.99 R$5.40

29.29%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$19.7K R$107.6K

74.76%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$34.4K R$187.6K

-0.65%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$79.0 R$431

125.03%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$10.66 R$58.2

30.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$18.00 R$98.3

70.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$24.05 R$131

74.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$25.54 R$139

-34.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$7.42 R$40.52

0.67%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$296 R$1,616

166.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$6,015 R$32.8K

104.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$51.2 R$279

68.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$45.32 R$247

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$81.1 R$443

70.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$68.1 R$372

45.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$341 R$1,862

293.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$240 R$1,313

177.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$645 R$3,524

206.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$453 R$2,473

128.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,777 R$9,703

130.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,287 R$7,028

50.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$373 R$2,034

73.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Montes Claros

$240 29.4% 64% $427

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Montes Claros

$182 22.3% 40.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Montes Claros

$108 13.2% 51.6% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Montes Claros

$90 11% 48.1% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Montes Claros

$111 13.5% 35.8% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Montes Claros

$48 5.9% 48.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Montes Claros

$39 4.8% 31.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $341 in Montes Claros. 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 73% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $29 in Montes Claros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $182 – making Montes Claros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Montes Claros

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

414,240

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Montes Claros 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Montes Claros

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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 107%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,227 in Montes Claros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montes Claros, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $341 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $29 in Montes Claros. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $818 in Montes Claros. That makes Montes Claros about 52% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Montes Claros, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Montes Claros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montes Claros – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Montes Claros. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.