Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Joao da Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,540 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,540 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sao Joao da Madeira $1,540

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,128 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,128

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,717 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,717

Medellin costs about 6% more than Sao Joao da Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Sao Joao da Madeira sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sao Joao da Madeira by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.94 €8.91

-18.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.79 €17.74

137.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.62 €6.83

24.67%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.10 €0.98

173.64%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.13 €1.02

59.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.99 €0.89

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.28 €2.94

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.30 €2.06

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.87 €0.78

73.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.33 €0.29

621.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.10 €0.98

60.91%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.69 €2.41

7.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.29 €7.43

22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.73 €5.14

72.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.79 €6.08

106.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.10 €1.89

89.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.36 €1.21

13.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.77 €1.58

23.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.75 €2.47

-20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.92 €1.72

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.89 €1.70

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.22 €1.10

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.90 €0.80

37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.65 €5.96

-40.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$4.57 €4.09

199.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.24 €1.12

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.62 €1.45

39.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$2.08 €1.86

-43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$42.34 €37.94

82.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$4.38 €3.93

-71.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.71 €1.53

19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$16.51 €14.80

-48.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.81 €1.62

-25.41%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$32.9K €29.5K

3.42%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$37.5K €33.6K

-7.52%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$109 €97.3

56.30%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$16.99 €15.23

-20.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$46.95 €42.07

-40.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$38.19 €34.23

14.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$14.76 €13.22

16.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.48 €4.91

26.09%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$321 €287

148.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,990 €8,952

-8.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$64.6 €57.9

31.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$36.62 €32.82

58.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$82.5 €73.9

63.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$96.9 €86.9

0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$958 €858

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$799 €716

-19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,617 €1,449

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,179 €1,057

-14.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,130 €2,805

33.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,469 €2,213

-22.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,059 €949

-37.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.55

208.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$799 51.9% 24.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12% 38% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$172 11.2% 18.4% $39

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$145 9.4% 14.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$126 8.2% 25.3% $43

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$64 4.1% 32.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$49 3.2% 14.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $958 in Sao Joao da Madeira. 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 61% higher in Sao Joao da Madeira, 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 in Medellin versus $20 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $184 – making Sao Joao da Madeira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

03:30 3:30 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

22,144

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Sao Joao da Madeira 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,310 in Sao Joao da Madeira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $958 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Sao Joao da Madeira. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,540 in Sao Joao da Madeira. That makes Sao Joao da Madeira about 6% cheaper.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,540 in Sao Joao da Madeira. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Madeira – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Sao Joao da Madeira is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 6% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.