Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Porto Velho

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Velho: $851 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Porto Velho
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Porto Velho Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Porto Velho

🇧🇷 Brazil

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $851 in Porto Velho, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Porto Velho $851

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,347 in Porto Velho, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Porto Velho $1,347

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,844 in Porto Velho, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Porto Velho $1,844

Medellin costs about 93% more than Porto Velho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Porto Velho is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$5.47 R$29.23

47.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$37.80 R$202

24.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.15 R$32.86

54.47%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.78 R$9.53

69.10%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.52 R$8.13

18.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.49 R$2.60

187.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.85 R$9.87

71.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.06 R$11.03

179.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.99 R$5.29

52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.41 R$7.51

68.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.08 R$5.78

63.89%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.97 R$10.53

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.70 R$46.51

17.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.08 R$21.82

141.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$8.61 R$46.03

62.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.03 R$10.87

95.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.24 R$6.65

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.03 R$5.50

111.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.55 R$8.29

40.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.27 R$6.80

54.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.10 R$5.89

44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.63 R$3.39

82.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.82 R$4.39

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.17 R$11.61

82.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$6.34 R$33.89

115.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.23 R$6.58

34.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.88 R$10.06

20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.92 R$4.93

27.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$41.03 R$219

88.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.29 R$6.89

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.90 R$4.80

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$7.50 R$40.09

14.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.22 R$6.52

10.66%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$20.8K R$111.4K

63.54%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$33.7K R$180.1K

2.94%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$79.3 R$424

113.88%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$12.36 R$66.1

9.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$19.71 R$105

42.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$24.42 R$131

78.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$25.57 R$137

-32.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$6.69 R$35.77

3.29%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$227 R$1,215

250.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$7,657 R$40.9K

19.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$46.37 R$248

82.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$46.33 R$248

25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$84.1 R$450

60.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$66.5 R$356

47.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$355 R$1,901

239.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$257 R$1,376

149.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$629 R$3,366

222.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$463 R$2,477

118.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,810 R$9,676

130.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,256 R$6,718

52.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$388 R$2,075

69.33%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Porto Velho

$257 30.3% 59.9% $384

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Porto Velho

$179 21% 39.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Porto Velho

$111 13.1% 47.3% $100

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Porto Velho

$105 12.3% 38.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Porto Velho

$110 12.9% 35.2% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Porto Velho

$51 5.9% 46% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Porto Velho

$38 4.4% 34.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $355 in Porto Velho. 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 69% 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 $38 in Porto Velho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $179 – making Porto Velho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Porto Velho

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

460,434

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Porto Velho 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Porto Velho

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 Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 93%, 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 $1,276 in Porto Velho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porto Velho, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $355 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $38 in Porto Velho. 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 $851 in Porto Velho. That makes Porto Velho about 48% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $851 in Porto Velho. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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