Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Joao da Boa Vista actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,320 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,818 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818

Medellin costs about 96% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sao Joao da Boa Vista is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$5.62 R$28.22

41.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$23.03 R$116

100.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$7.07 R$35.45

34.37%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$2.05 R$10.29

51.71%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$1.17 R$5.89

56.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,374

$0.92 R$4.62

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$1.98 R$9.94

54.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$2.06 R$10.32

166.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.07 R$5.37

35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$1.64 R$8.23

43.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$0.98 R$4.90

71.43%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$2.37 R$11.90

20.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$10.01 R$50.2

1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$5.00 R$25.09

90.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$10.07 R$50.5

39.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.95 R$9.80

108.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.17 R$5.88

28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$0.97 R$4.89

123.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.56 R$7.85

48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$0.83 R$4.15

132.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$0.81 R$4.09

102.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$0.78 R$3.90

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$0.77 R$3.87

62.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$2.35 R$11.80

69.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$6.09 R$30.55

119.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$1.18 R$5.90

44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,549

$1.98 R$9.93

19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.87 R$4.38

39.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

$44.48 R$223

71.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,193

$1.57 R$7.89

-15.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$1.57 R$7.87

36.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$8.19 R$41.10

3.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.07 R$5.35

21.50%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$19.8K R$99.3K

41.46%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$33.3K R$166.9K

6.44%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$95.3 R$478

80.56%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$9.88 R$49.55

35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$19.70 R$98.8

45.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$28.59 R$143

58.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

$31.76 R$159

-46.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$5.49 R$27.56

14.39%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$280 R$1,403

175.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$10.3K R$51.8K

-12.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$54.6 R$274

58.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$37.79 R$190

51.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$51.3 R$258

166.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$60.7 R$304

61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$349 R$1,753

202.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$203 R$1,018

203.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$678 R$3,402

179.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$465 R$2,333

119.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,581 R$7,931

156.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,031 R$5,175

62.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$659 R$3,307

-1.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.79

-14.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$203 24.7% 67.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$193 23.4% 34.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$125 15.2% 41.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2% 45.9% $78

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$113 13.8% 32.8% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 7% 38.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$40 4.8% 31.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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 1% higher in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $193 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

13:16 1:16 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

92,547

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,564 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sao Joao da Boa Vista 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,234 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That's a gap of about 96%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Boa Vista – 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 Joao da Boa Vista. 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.