Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Porto Velho Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Porto Velho

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $768 in Porto Velho, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,230 in Porto Velho, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,692 in Porto Velho, rent included.

Medellin costs about 33% more than Porto Velho, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Porto Velho are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Porto Velho 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$4.59 R$23.29

29.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.5K

$25.75 R$131

28.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$5.98 R$30.34

19.06%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,484

$1.61 R$8.17

6.21%

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

$1.05 COP 3,373

$1.15 R$5.83

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,323

$0.36 R$1.85

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,529

$1.82 R$9.25

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.73 R$13.87

16.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,425

$1.01 R$5.12

4.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,213

$1.47 R$7.44

-10.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,277

$1.18 R$5.98

12.71%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,334

$2.02 R$10.25

12.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$8.26 R$41.92

-46.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$3.59 R$18.24

64.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$7.06 R$35.85

22.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,541

$2.13 R$10.83

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,544

$1.25 R$6.34

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,721

$1.14 R$5.79

28.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,437

$1.44 R$7.31

-4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,772

$1.19 R$6.04

-1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,763

$1.06 R$5.38

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,904

$0.71 R$3.59

26.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,707

$0.62 R$3.15

35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,486

$2.17 R$11.03

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$7.36 R$37.36

61.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,692

$1.20 R$6.11

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,787

$1.99 R$10.08

21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,700

$0.86 R$4.37

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.3K

$39.05 R$198

4.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,539

$1.11 R$5.64

27.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,157

$0.75 R$3.79

154.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$6.37 R$32.32

22.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,035

$1.09 R$5.53

-13.76%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$20.8K R$105.7K

-14.46%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$27.7K R$140.4K

-2.12%

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

$83.3 COP 267.8K

$59.4 R$302

40.12%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$13.39 R$67.9

-27.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$18.91 R$96.0

28.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$22.81 R$116

10.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

$21.20 R$108

-8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$6.28 R$31.85

-35.19%

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

$307 COP 986.0K

$273 R$1,384

12.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$6,597 R$33.5K

-9.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.8K

$49.46 R$251

21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.0K

$42.67 R$217

-23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.1K

$75.9 R$385

33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.5K

$64.4 R$327

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$321 R$1,629

48.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$213 R$1,083

77.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$589 R$2,989

38.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$434 R$2,203

62.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$1,669 R$8,469

91.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$1,221 R$6,196

18.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$409 R$2,078

51.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $321 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 52% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Porto Velho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $172 – making Porto Velho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 33%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,152 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $26.00 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 $1,018 in Medellin and $768 in Porto Velho. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porto Velho, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Porto Velho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.