Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pato Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Pato Branco: $880 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Pato Branco
🇧🇷 Brazil
$880
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pato Branco

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $880 in Pato Branco, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Pato Branco $880

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,393 in Pato Branco, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Pato Branco $1,393

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,907 in Pato Branco, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Pato Branco $1,907

Medellin costs about 85% more than Pato Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pato Branco is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$6.04 R$30.60
37.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$31.70 R$161
47.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$7.89 R$40.01
17.11%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$2.07 R$10.47
47.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$1.34 R$6.79
34.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$0.77 R$3.92
79.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$1.97 R$9.99
64.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$2.97 R$15.06
87.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.06 R$5.37
41.51%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.67 R$8.45
41.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$1.24 R$6.28
37.10%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$2.22 R$11.26
33.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$9.22 R$46.73
10.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$4.17 R$21.13
133.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$8.31 R$42.14
67.27%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$2.21 R$11.20
86.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.30 R$6.60
17.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$1.17 R$5.94
89.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$1.57 R$7.96
44.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.26 R$6.37
57.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.13 R$5.72
47.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$0.77 R$3.91
53.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.82 R$4.13
51.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$2.46 R$12.46
57.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$7.81 R$39.57
76.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$1.30 R$6.59
27.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$2.07 R$10.51
15.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$1.03 R$5.23
20.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$43.83 R$222
78.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$1.32 R$6.69
-3.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$0.91 R$4.63
136.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$8.19 R$41.53
2.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.30 R$6.61
3.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$24.3K R$123.1K
43.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$33.5K R$169.6K
3.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$74.5 R$377
123.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$12.55 R$63.6
8.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$21.06 R$107
38.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$25.57 R$130
76.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$27.31 R$138
-37.09%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$7.11 R$36.03
-1.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$276 R$1,400
186.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$7,341 R$37.2K
23.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$55.4 R$281
58.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$50.5 R$256
15.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$90.0 R$456
54.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$73.4 R$372
34.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$361 R$1,832
184.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$245 R$1,243
152.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$679 R$3,442
177.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$465 R$2,355
116.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$1,694 R$8,590
135.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$1,179 R$5,974
44.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Pato Branco
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$446 R$2,261
48.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11
-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 Pato Branco: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Pato Branco
$245 60.4% $374
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Pato Branco
$191 35.9% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Pato Branco
$108 48.4% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Pato Branco
$121 29.9% $52
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Pato Branco
$121 29.2% $50
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Pato Branco
$54 43.4% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Pato Branco
$40 32.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $361 in Pato Branco. 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 49% 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 $32.00 in Pato Branco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $191 – making Pato Branco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇧🇷 Pato Branco
🕒 Local time
19:26 7:26 PM
21:26 9:26 PM
2 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
91,836
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Pato Branco 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Pato Branco

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 Pato Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pato Branco cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,320 in Pato Branco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pato Branco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Pato Branco?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Pato Branco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Pato Branco?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $880 in Pato Branco. That's a gap of about 85%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Pato Branco?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pato Branco, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Pato Branco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Pato Branco more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Pato Branco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Pato Branco. 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.

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