Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Porto Alegre, Sao Tome and Principe

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $199 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Porto Alegre

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $199 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Porto Alegre $199

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $412 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Porto Alegre $412

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $625 in Porto Alegre, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Porto Alegre $625

Medellin costs about 751% more than Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Porto Alegre is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$38.16 STN 832

21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$5.71 STN 124

65.85%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.47 STN 53.8

26.72%

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

$1.77 COP 5,704

$1.06 STN 23.12

66.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,600

$0.88 STN 19.18

61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.30 STN 50.2

36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,949

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,399

$2.08 STN 45.37

10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,281

$1.04 STN 22.61

86.54%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,902

$2.32 STN 50.6

32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$18.61 STN 406

-46.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$12.36 STN 269

12.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,936

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,795

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,407

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,812

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,519

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,779

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,102

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.29 STN 49.93

70.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,689

$1.14 STN 24.94

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,758

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,810

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,835

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,876

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,118

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

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

$178 COP 573.9K

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Porto Alegre

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Porto Alegre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Porto Alegre

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Porto Alegre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Porto Alegre

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Porto Alegre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Porto Alegre

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $38 in Porto Alegre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $133 – making Porto Alegre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

795

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Porto Alegre 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Porto Alegre

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 Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 751%, 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 $298 in Porto Alegre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 131% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $38 in Porto Alegre. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Porto Alegre, where all-in costs run around $199, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Porto Alegre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $199 in Porto Alegre to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.