Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pelotas

For one person, living is cheaper in Pelotas: $708 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Pelotas
Learn more

Pelotas Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Pelotas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pelotas

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $708 in Pelotas, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Pelotas $708

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,099 in Pelotas, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Pelotas $1,099

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,490 in Pelotas, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Pelotas $1,490

Medellin costs about 132% more than Pelotas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pelotas is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.51 R$29.93

46.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$16.54 R$89.9

184.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.33 R$34.41

50.08%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.41 R$13.10

24.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$1.21 R$6.59

48.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$0.65 R$3.55

116.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.36 R$7.40

133.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.47 R$8.00

291.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$0.82 R$4.45

84.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.12 R$6.08

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$0.81 R$4.40

118.52%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$2.17 R$11.78

33.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.53 R$51.8

6.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.43 R$24.08

122.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.10 R$49.45

53.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.20 R$11.99

80.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.10 R$5.98

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.33 R$7.21

63.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.09 R$5.91

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$1.14 R$6.19

71.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$0.97 R$5.28

63.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.84 R$4.59

36.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$0.49 R$2.65

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.22 R$12.06

78.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.03 R$38.25

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$0.63 R$3.44

163.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$0.91 R$4.94

148.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$1.14 R$6.20

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$48.93 R$266

58.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$1.24 R$6.74

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$0.79 R$4.28

159.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.78 R$42.30

9.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.21 R$6.57

11.57%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$22.1K R$120.3K

53.97%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$32.7K R$177.6K

6.13%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$72.8 R$396

133.16%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$6.96 R$37.83

94.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$18.74 R$102

49.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$18.93 R$103

130.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$18.43 R$100

-6.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.43 R$24.06

55.98%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$524 R$2,850

51.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$21.7K R$118.1K

-58.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$33.08 R$180

156.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$28.06 R$153

106.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$56.2 R$305

140.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$73.4 R$399

33.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$219 R$1,191

451.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$157 R$853

308.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$364 R$1,977

457.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$300 R$1,629

237.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,425 R$7,749

192.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$752 R$4,089

154.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$426 R$2,318

54.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pelotas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Pelotas

$157 22.2% 75.5% $485

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Pelotas

$171 24.2% 42.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Pelotas

$98 13.9% 53.4% $113

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Pelotas

$109 15.4% 35.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Pelotas

$86 12.1% 49.2% $83

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Pelotas

$59 8.3% 37.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Pelotas

$28 3.9% 51.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $219 in Pelotas. 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 54% 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 $17 in Pelotas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $171 – making Pelotas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Pelotas

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

04:00 4:00 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

325,685

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Pelotas 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pelotas

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 Pelotas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 132%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,062 in Pelotas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pelotas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $219 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $17 in Pelotas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $708 in Pelotas. That makes Pelotas about 57% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Pelotas, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Pelotas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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