Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Palmas

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmas: $830 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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 Palmas
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Palmas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Palmas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Palmas

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $830 in Palmas, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Palmas $830

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,281 in Palmas, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Palmas $1,281

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,733 in Palmas, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Palmas $1,733

Medellin costs about 104% more than Palmas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$3.83 R$21.01

117.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$21.86 R$120

112.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$7.41 R$40.65

27.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.73 R$9.48

80.92%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$1.63 R$8.96

8.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.81 R$4.45

75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.46 R$7.99

115.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$2.72 R$14.91

109.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.02 R$5.60

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$1.34 R$7.36

70.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$2.76 R$15.15

-29.71%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.41 R$13.24

27.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$6.62 R$36.36

50.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$2.95 R$16.20

254.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$5.75 R$31.58

142.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.18 R$11.97

85.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.56 R$8.57

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$1.13 R$6.21

85.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.08 R$5.93

112.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.19 R$6.51

77.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$1.04 R$5.72

64.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$0.75 R$4.13

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.71 R$3.90

122.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.06 R$11.30

89.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$6.42 R$35.25

118.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.24 R$6.81

41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$2.01 R$11.02

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.74 R$4.09

59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$41.72 R$229

82.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$1.30 R$7.14

39.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$0.70 R$3.83

204.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$6.26 R$34.35

29.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.11 R$6.08

15.32%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$19.7K R$108.0K

75.02%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$30.8K R$169.3K

10.65%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$106 R$581

67.94%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$10.92 R$59.9

27.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$18.50 R$102

66.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$21.99 R$121

90.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$26.12 R$143

-35.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$6.13 R$33.62

21.86%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$142 R$779

456.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$6,428 R$35.3K

91.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$33.94 R$186

154.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$49.29 R$271

20.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$106 R$582

30.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$66.9 R$367

47.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$309 R$1,696

333.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$233 R$1,276

186.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$611 R$3,354

223.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$461 R$2,532

123.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,616 R$8,869

153.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,140 R$6,257

70.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

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 Palmas: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Palmas

$233 28% 65.1% $435

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Palmas

$167 20.1% 45.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Palmas

$135 16.3% 39.2% $87

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Palmas

$96 11.6% 44.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Palmas

$115 13.9% 33.1% $57

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Palmas

$49 6% 47% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Palmas

$34 4.1% 39.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $309 in Palmas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Palmas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $167 – making Palmas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Palmas

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

302,692

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 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 Palmas 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Palmas

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 Palmas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 104%, 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 $1,244 in Palmas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palmas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $309 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Palmas. 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 $830 in Palmas. That makes Palmas about 51% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Palmas, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Palmas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Palmas is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.