Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Jose dos Campos

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos: $1,037 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose dos Campos
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Sao Jose dos Campos Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sao Jose dos Campos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sao Jose dos Campos

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,037 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sao Jose dos Campos $1,037

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,613 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sao Jose dos Campos $1,613

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,189 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sao Jose dos Campos $2,189

Medellin costs about 58% more than Sao Jose dos Campos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sao Jose dos Campos is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.55 R$35.63

23.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$37.92 R$206

24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.27 R$44.97

14.87%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.06 R$11.19

46.12%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.58 R$8.60

13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.12 R$6.11

25.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.54 R$13.81

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.12 R$22.42

39.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.16 R$6.30

30.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.90 R$10.36

25.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.10 R$6.00

60.91%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.58 R$14.01

12.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.51 R$46.25

19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.23 R$23.02

133.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.17 R$55.3

37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.55 R$13.88

55.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.75 R$9.49

-11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.72 R$9.37

26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.74 R$9.48

25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.31 R$7.15

49.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.28 R$6.97

24.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$0.90 R$4.90

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.76 R$4.11

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.63 R$14.28

50.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.41 R$45.72

62.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.55 R$8.44

7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$4.13 R$22.44

-45.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.10 R$6.00

6.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$36.63 R$199

111.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.19 R$6.45

6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.33 R$7.21

54.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.66 R$47.10

-1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.23 R$6.68

9.76%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$22.4K R$121.6K

52.38%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$32.0K R$174.2K

8.18%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$40.81 R$222

315.71%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$13.39 R$72.8

1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$17.24 R$93.7

62.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$27.28 R$148

60.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$32.55 R$177

-47.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.56 R$41.12

-8.60%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$404 R$2,196

97.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,234 R$39.3K

25.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$51.8 R$282

63.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$55.6 R$302

4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$90.2 R$491

49.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$79.9 R$434

22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$476 R$2,586

153.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$403 R$2,188

59.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$845 R$4,594

139.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$666 R$3,620

51.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,986 R$10.8K

109.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,434 R$7,799

33.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$765 R$4,159

-14.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.12

-1.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$403 38.8% 37.3% $239

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$213 20.6% 28.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$71 6.9% 66.2% $140

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$134 12.9% 21.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$125 12% 26.1% $44

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$49 4.7% 47.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$42 4.1% 26.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $476 in Sao Jose dos Campos. 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 16% higher in Sao Jose dos Campos, 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 $38 in Sao Jose dos Campos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $213 – making Sao Jose dos Campos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Sao Jose dos Campos

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

697,054

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sao Jose dos Campos 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Jose dos Campos

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 dos Campos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,556 in Sao Jose dos Campos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $38 in Sao Jose dos Campos. 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 $1,037 in Sao Jose dos Campos. That makes Sao Jose dos Campos about 37% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,037 in Sao Jose dos Campos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Sao Jose dos Campos is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 37% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.