Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Novo Hamburgo

For one person, living is cheaper in Novo Hamburgo: $776 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Novo Hamburgo
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Novo Hamburgo Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Novo Hamburgo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Novo Hamburgo

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $776 in Novo Hamburgo, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Novo Hamburgo $776

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,241 in Novo Hamburgo, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Novo Hamburgo $1,241

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,706 in Novo Hamburgo, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Novo Hamburgo $1,706

Medellin costs about 109% more than Novo Hamburgo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Novo Hamburgo is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$4.88 R$24.74

70.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$18.79 R$95.3

149.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.91 R$35.05

33.72%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.58 R$7.99

93.04%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.29 R$6.53

39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.89 R$4.50

55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.47 R$12.53

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.98 R$15.11

86.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.94 R$4.75

59.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.69 R$8.54

40.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.78 R$3.95

117.95%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.16 R$10.97

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.19 R$46.58

11.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.56 R$23.12

113.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.14 R$36.22

94.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.39 R$12.12

72.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.10 R$5.60

39.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.82 R$4.17

170.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.32 R$6.70

71.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.21 R$6.14

64.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.98 R$4.97

70.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.88 R$4.44

34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.58 R$2.94

113.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$1.78 R$9.02

117.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.60 R$38.53

81.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.16 R$5.88

43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.23 R$11.29

7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.83 R$4.20

49.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$43.74 R$222

78.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.26 R$6.40

1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.79 R$4.03

172.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$8.16 R$41.35

2.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.12 R$5.68

20.54%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$24.2K R$122.9K

43.40%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$33.3K R$168.9K

4.09%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$78.2 R$397

113.03%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$12.71 R$64.4

7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$22.18 R$112

31.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$26.30 R$133

71.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$27.58 R$140

-37.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.38 R$37.39

-5.56%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$281 R$1,425

181.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,080 R$35.9K

27.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$46.87 R$238

87.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$38.13 R$193

52.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$80.3 R$407

73.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$42.13 R$214

134.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$267 R$1,354

285.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$190 R$965

225.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$571 R$2,892

229.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$444 R$2,249

127.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,709 R$8,661

133.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,221 R$6,191

39.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$510 R$2,585

30.07%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Novo Hamburgo: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Novo Hamburgo

$190 24.6% 69.3% $429

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Novo Hamburgo

$180 23.2% 39.6% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Novo Hamburgo

$113 14.6% 46% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Novo Hamburgo

$93 12% 46% $79

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Novo Hamburgo

$106 13.6% 38.1% $65

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Novo Hamburgo

$52 6.7% 45.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Novo Hamburgo

$41 5.3% 30.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $267 in Novo Hamburgo. 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 30% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Novo Hamburgo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $180 – making Novo Hamburgo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Novo Hamburgo

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

227,646

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Novo Hamburgo 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Novo Hamburgo

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 Novo Hamburgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,163 in Novo Hamburgo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novo Hamburgo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Novo Hamburgo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $776 in Novo Hamburgo. That's a gap of about 109%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novo Hamburgo, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Novo Hamburgo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novo Hamburgo – 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 Novo Hamburgo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.