Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Carlos

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $982 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sao Carlos

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $982 in Sao Carlos, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Sao Carlos $982

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,709 in Sao Carlos, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Sao Carlos $1,709

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,436 in Sao Carlos, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Sao Carlos $2,436

Medellin costs about 65% more than Sao Carlos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sao Carlos is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$4.98 R$25.25

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$40.05 R$203

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.77 R$34.33

36.48%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.12 R$10.74

43.87%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.34 R$6.78

34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.79 R$3.98

74.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.63 R$8.24

98.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.83 R$14.36

96.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.34 R$6.80

11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.96 R$9.96

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.78 R$9.03

-4.49%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.95 R$14.94

0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$12.48 R$63.3

-18.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.25 R$26.61

85.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.22 R$46.72

50.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.71 R$13.72

52.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.84 R$9.33

-16.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.78 R$9.01

24.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.96 R$9.95

15.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.74 R$8.84

14.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.36 R$6.88

22.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.01 R$5.14

16.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.16 R$5.88

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.19 R$16.18

21.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$8.46 R$42.91

62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.48 R$7.50

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.91 R$14.73

-17.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.98 R$4.97

26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$23.86 R$121

227.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.48 R$7.48

-13.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.01 R$5.11

112.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$3.64 R$18.45

129.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.25 R$6.32

8.00%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$20.2K R$102.2K

72.49%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$31.5K R$159.5K

10.25%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$62.4 R$316

167.20%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$13.74 R$69.6

-0.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$24.07 R$122

20.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$34.77 R$176

29.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$48.31 R$245

-64.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.38 R$27.29

29.55%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$302 R$1,531

161.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$3,032 R$15.4K

198.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$84.7 R$429

3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$96.7 R$490

-39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$139 R$705

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$163 R$826

-39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$272 R$1,377

278.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$236 R$1,197

162.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$673 R$3,410

179.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$663 R$3,358

52.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$849 R$4,303

369.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$730 R$3,698

133.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$681 R$3,453

-2.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.75

1.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Sao Carlos

$236 24% 61.9% $383

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Sao Carlos

$241 24.5% 19.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Sao Carlos

$100 10.2% 52.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1% 25.9% $45

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Sao Carlos

$108 11% 36.8% $63

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5% 64% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Sao Carlos

$46 4.6% 22.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $272 in Sao Carlos. 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 3% higher in Sao Carlos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $40.00 in Sao Carlos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $241 – making Sao Carlos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

21:18 9:18 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

254,857

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Sao Carlos 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Carlos

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 Carlos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,474 in Sao Carlos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Carlos, 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 $40.00 in Sao Carlos. 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 $982 in Sao Carlos. That's a gap of about 65%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $982, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sao Carlos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Carlos – 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 Carlos. 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.