Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Praia

For one person, living is cheaper in Praia: $1,195 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Praia
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Praia Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Praia

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$1,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Praia

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,195 in Praia, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Praia $1,195

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,794 in Praia, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Praia $1,794

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,394 in Praia, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Praia $2,394

Medellin costs about 37% more than Praia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Praia is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.05 CVE 498

60.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$35.98 CVE 3,544

30.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.24 CVE 713

31.22%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.68 CVE 264

12.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.60 CVE 157

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.18 CVE 117

19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.48 CVE 244

28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.90 CVE 187

202.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.33 CVE 131

13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.03 CVE 200

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.61 CVE 356

-50.97%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.38 CVE 235

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$25.48 CVE 2,509

-60.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.65 CVE 458

112.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$16.52 CVE 1,627

-15.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$5.16 CVE 508

-23.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$3.01 CVE 296

-48.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$4.08 CVE 401

-46.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.39 CVE 432

-50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.51 CVE 148

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.43 CVE 141

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.01 CVE 99.2

13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.51 CVE 148

-17.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.38 CVE 530

-26.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.90 CVE 778

73.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.77 CVE 174

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.73 CVE 170

30.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.76 CVE 74.9

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$29.34 CVE 2,890

163.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.80 CVE 177

-29.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.21 CVE 119

69.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.55 CVE 153

-12.90%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$28.5K CVE 2.8M

19.48%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$38.6K CVE 3.8M

-10.20%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$179 CVE 17.7K

-5.36%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$18.06 CVE 1,779

-24.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$51.7 CVE 5,088

-45.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$32.24 CVE 3,176

35.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$10.14 CVE 999

69.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.51 CVE 542

25.41%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$125 CVE 12.4K

535.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,111 CVE 306.4K

192.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$61.1 CVE 6,014

38.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$25.85 CVE 2,546

124.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$66.4 CVE 6,541

103.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$92.9 CVE 9,153

5.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$570 CVE 56.1K

111.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$283 CVE 27.9K

126.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$886 CVE 87.2K

128.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$478 CVE 47.1K

111.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,360 CVE 134.0K

206.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$994 CVE 97.9K

92.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$300 CVE 29.6K

118.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

36.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Praia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Praia

$283 23.7% 55.8% $358

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Praia

$346 29% 16.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Praia

$249 20.8% 17.8% $38

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Praia

$122 10.2% 28.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Praia

$111 9.3% 34.4% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Praia

$40 3.4% 57% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Praia

$43 3.6% 24.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $570 in Praia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $36 in Praia. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $346 in Praia – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇻 Praia

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

4 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

127,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.15 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 98.5 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Praia 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Praia

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 Praia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,792 in Praia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Praia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $570 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $36 in Praia. 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 $1,195 in Praia. That makes Praia about 27% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,195 in Praia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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