Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $835 a month against $1,625 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
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
Learn more

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $835

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,288 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,288

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,742 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,742

Medellin costs about 95% more than Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$4.43 R$22.44

87.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$27.29 R$138

71.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.07 R$45.98

1.87%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.37 R$12.02

28.69%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.32 R$6.69

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.80 R$4.06

72.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.95 R$9.88

66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.54 R$17.96

57.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.86 R$4.34

74.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.77 R$8.97

33.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.17 R$5.95

45.30%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.03 R$10.28

45.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$6.77 R$34.33

50.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.24 R$21.48

129.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$6.65 R$33.73

109.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.31 R$11.71

78.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.14 R$5.77

34.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.83 R$4.20

167.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.39 R$7.05

63.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.30 R$6.60

53.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.18 R$6.00

41.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.97 R$4.93

21.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.63 R$3.19

96.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$1.96 R$9.95

97.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.14 R$36.19

93.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.09 R$5.51

52.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.32 R$11.77

3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.11 R$5.63

11.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$29.19 R$148

167.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.63 R$3.17

103.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.77 R$3.90

179.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$6.81 R$34.50

22.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.21 R$6.11

11.57%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$22.9K R$115.9K

52.01%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$30.4K R$154.3K

13.93%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$66.4 R$337

151.05%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$13.68 R$69.4

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$18.93 R$96.0

53.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$21.99 R$111

105.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$19.77 R$100

-13.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$3.92 R$19.85

77.81%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$274 R$1,390

188.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,947 R$40.3K

13.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$65.5 R$332

34.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$55.9 R$283

4.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$89.7 R$455

54.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$45.32 R$230

118.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$422 R$2,139

143.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$265 R$1,343

133.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$603 R$3,055

212.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$461 R$2,336

118.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,150 R$10.9K

85.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$835 R$4,231

103.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$537 R$2,724

23.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.23

32.93%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$265 31.7% 57.2% $355

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$171 20.5% 42.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$99 11.9% 52.7% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$115 13.8% 33.2% $57

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9% 31.9% $54

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$38 4.6% 60% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6% 49.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 23% 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 $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $171 – making Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

480,393

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

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 Jose do Rio Preto SP: 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 $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,252 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, 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 $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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 $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP. That's a gap of about 95%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, where all-in costs run around $835, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP – 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP. 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.