Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rio Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio Branco: $837 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Rio Branco
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Rio Branco Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Rio Branco

🇧🇷 Brazil

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rio Branco

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $837 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Rio Branco $837

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,322 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Rio Branco $1,322

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,806 in Rio Branco, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Rio Branco $1,806

Medellin costs about 102% more than Rio Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Rio Branco is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.58 R$35.92

26.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$23.93 R$131

94.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$6.84 R$37.35

38.45%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.78 R$15.15

12.59%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$1.33 R$7.24

33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.72 R$3.94

97.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.88 R$10.25

67.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.87 R$15.67

98.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.99 R$5.40

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$1.59 R$8.68

44.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$1.20 R$6.54

61.67%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$2.08 R$11.37

47.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$8.66 R$47.30

15.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.08 R$22.30

156.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$7.81 R$42.65

78.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.10 R$11.49

92.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.20 R$6.55

27.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.09 R$5.94

92.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.45 R$7.92

57.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.18 R$6.45

78.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.05 R$5.71

62.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.77 R$4.19

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.71 R$3.88

122.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.34 R$12.78

67.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$7.53 R$41.12

86.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.22 R$6.67

44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.96 R$10.72

38.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.62 R$3.40

90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$41.30 R$225

84.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.23 R$6.72

47.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.80 R$4.36

166.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$7.25 R$39.59

12.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.29 R$7.05

-0.78%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$21.9K R$119.6K

57.23%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$30.8K R$168.2K

10.82%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$71.9 R$393

147.12%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$11.31 R$61.8

22.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$19.60 R$107

56.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$23.91 R$131

75.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$26.12 R$143

-35.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.84 R$37.35

9.21%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$260 R$1,420

203.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$6,586 R$36.0K

86.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$52.3 R$286

64.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$46.99 R$257

26.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$84.0 R$458

64.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$67.4 R$368

46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$342 R$1,865

292.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$225 R$1,229

196.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$634 R$3,461

211.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$448 R$2,448

130.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,585 R$8,653

158.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,506 R$8,223

28.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$241 R$1,316

168.10%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rio Branco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Rio Branco

$225 26.9% 66.3% $442

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Rio Branco

$180 21.5% 41.3% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Rio Branco

$103 12.3% 53.7% $120

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Rio Branco

$130 15.5% 24.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Rio Branco

$113 13.5% 34.5% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Rio Branco

$49 5.9% 47.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Rio Branco

$38 4.5% 33.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $342 in Rio Branco. 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $24 in Rio Branco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $180 – making Rio Branco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Rio Branco

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

364,756

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Rio Branco 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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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 Rio Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 102%, 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 $1,256 in Rio Branco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio Branco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $24 in Rio Branco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $837 in Rio Branco. That makes Rio Branco about 51% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio Branco, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Rio Branco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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