Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $866 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Santa Cruz do Sul $866

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,393 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,393

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,919 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,919

Medellin costs about 95% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Santa Cruz do Sul is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$5.50 R$30.16

51.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$36.04 R$198

29.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$6.30 R$34.59

50.32%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.33 R$12.77

34.33%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$1.24 R$6.81

42.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$1.02 R$5.62

39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.25 R$12.34

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$2.70 R$14.85

111.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$0.91 R$4.97

68.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$1.53 R$8.38

49.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$0.98 R$5.38

97.96%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$2.21 R$12.11

38.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$9.89 R$54.3

1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.38 R$24.01

138.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$9.10 R$49.94

53.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.23 R$12.25

81.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.35 R$7.43

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.24 R$6.83

69.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.48 R$8.10

54.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$1.11 R$6.07

90.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.01 R$5.53

69.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$0.79 R$4.34

48.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.74 R$4.03

113.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.28 R$12.51

71.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$7.34 R$40.28

91.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.09 R$5.98

61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$1.99 R$10.92

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.94 R$5.17

25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$1.32 R$7.24

37.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.73 R$4.03

191.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$7.69 R$42.21

5.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.22 R$6.72

4.92%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$21.7K R$119.1K

58.72%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$32.3K R$177.1K

5.78%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$72.7 R$399

144.37%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$11.41 R$62.7

21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$20.47 R$112

50.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$26.21 R$144

60.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$6.74 R$36.98

10.83%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$520 R$2,853

51.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$22.8K R$125.4K

-46.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$46.12 R$253

87.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$53.1 R$291

11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$94.2 R$517

46.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$73.3 R$402

34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$524 R$2,877

155.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$288 R$1,579

131.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$890 R$4,885

121.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$591 R$3,241

74.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$372 R$2,040

73.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$288 33.2% 56.9% $380

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$189 21.8% 38.5% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$105 12.1% 53% $118

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$116 13.5% 32.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$120 13.9% 30.3% $52

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$8.8 * 1% 90.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$40 4.6% 30.2% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul. 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 74% 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 $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $189 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

20:07 8:07 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

133,246

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Santa Cruz do Sul 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 95%, 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 $1,299 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $524 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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