Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rio das Ostras

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio das Ostras: $720 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Rio das Ostras
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Rio das Ostras Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Rio das Ostras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rio das Ostras

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $720 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Rio das Ostras $720

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,206 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Rio das Ostras $1,206

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,693 in Rio das Ostras, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Rio das Ostras $1,693

Medellin costs about 126% more than Rio das Ostras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rio das Ostras is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$6.11 R$30.99

35.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$29.93 R$152

56.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.91 R$35.02

33.72%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.77 R$8.99

72.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.33 R$6.73

35.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.62 R$3.13

122.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.21 R$6.16

167.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.03 R$15.37

83.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.95 R$4.84

57.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.56 R$7.91

51.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.25 R$6.34

36.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.95 R$9.88

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.04 R$40.76

27.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.49 R$17.68

179.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$8.56 R$43.40

62.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.95 R$9.87

111.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.21 R$6.14

26.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.93 R$4.74

138.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.27 R$6.45

78.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.71 R$3.59

180.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.81 R$4.09

106.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.57 R$2.91

107.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.72 R$3.67

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.27 R$11.53

70.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.18 R$46.51

50.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.11 R$10.69

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.44 R$7.28

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.02 R$5.18

21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$43.98 R$223

77.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.37 R$6.95

-6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.76 R$3.87

182.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$8.02 R$40.63

4.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.17 R$5.93

15.38%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.1K R$106.8K

64.95%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$31.3K R$158.8K

10.70%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$69.9 R$354

138.48%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$10.00 R$50.7

36.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$18.83 R$95.5

54.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$23.61 R$120

90.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$27.53 R$140

-37.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.75 R$34.23

3.26%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$327 R$1,658

141.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,611 R$38.6K

18.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$56.6 R$287

55.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$28.31 R$144

105.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$66.8 R$338

108.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$48.51 R$246

103.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$198 R$1,004

418.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$151 R$766

309.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$529 R$2,682

255.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$400 R$2,029

151.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,730 R$8,770

130.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,223 R$6,198

39.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$542 R$2,748

22.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio das Ostras: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Rio das Ostras

$151 21% 75.6% $468

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Rio das Ostras

$179 24.8% 40% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Rio das Ostras

$99 13.7% 52.9% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Rio das Ostras

$90 12.5% 47.8% $83

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Rio das Ostras

$111 15.4% 35.1% $60

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Rio das Ostras

$53 7.4% 44% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Rio das Ostras

$37 5.2% 37.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $198 in Rio das Ostras. 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 22% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Rio das Ostras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $179 – making Rio das Ostras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Rio das Ostras

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

156,491

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Rio das Ostras 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rio das Ostras

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 das Ostras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 126%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,080 in Rio das Ostras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio das Ostras, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Rio das Ostras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $720 in Rio das Ostras. That's a gap of about 126%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio das Ostras, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Rio das Ostras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio das Ostras – 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 das Ostras. 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.