Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Bernardo do Campo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo: $807 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Sao Bernardo do Campo
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Sao Bernardo do Campo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Sao Bernardo do Campo $807

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,285 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,285

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,763 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,763

Medellin costs about 101% more than Sao Bernardo do Campo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sao Bernardo do Campo is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$6.93 R$35.11

19.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$30.15 R$153

55.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.92 R$45.20

3.59%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.86 R$9.43

63.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.40 R$7.10

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.72 R$3.66

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.21 R$6.14

167.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.02 R$10.23

175.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.89 R$4.50

68.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.63 R$8.25

45.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.22 R$6.21

39.34%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.00 R$10.16

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$10.01 R$50.8

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.50 R$22.81

116.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$8.85 R$44.85

57.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.60 R$13.18

58.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.39 R$7.05

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.41 R$7.14

57.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.62 R$8.22

40.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.29 R$6.53

54.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.00 R$5.07

67.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.91 R$4.61

29.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.93 R$4.73

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.21 R$11.19

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.59 R$38.48

81.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.27 R$6.43

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.01 R$10.17

19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.07 R$5.42

15.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.17 R$5.94

9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.61 R$3.10

252.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$2.95 R$14.98

183.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.14 R$5.78

18.42%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$23.8K R$120.5K

46.27%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$32.4K R$164.4K

6.97%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$80.4 R$408

107.20%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.96 R$60.6

13.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$18.64 R$94.5

56.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$24.36 R$124

85.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$33.25 R$169

-48.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.78 R$34.35

2.80%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$205 R$1,040

285.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$6,569 R$33.3K

37.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$38.76 R$197

126.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$39.91 R$202

45.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$84.2 R$427

65.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$52.7 R$267

87.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$352 R$1,786

191.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$231 R$1,172

168.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$780 R$3,953

141.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$444 R$2,252

126.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,578 R$8,000

152.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,118 R$5,666

52.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$532 R$2,696

24.72%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Bernardo do Campo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$231 28.6% 62.7% $388

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$198 24.6% 33.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$111 13.8% 47% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$97 12% 43.8% $76

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$123 15.3% 28% $48

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$8.5 * 1.1% 91.1% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$38 4.7% 35.8% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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 25% 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $198 – making Sao Bernardo do Campo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Sao Bernardo do Campo

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

13:03 1:03 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

810,729

💱 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 23, 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 23, 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sao Bernardo do Campo 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 101%, 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 $1,211 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo, 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where all-in costs run around $807, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sao Bernardo do Campo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Bernardo do Campo – 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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.