Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $832 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
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Medellin Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $832 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Sao Luis $832

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,317 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Sao Luis $1,317

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,802 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Sao Luis $1,802

Medellin costs about 95% more than Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$6.64 R$33.64

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$40.14 R$203

16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.89 R$34.93

34.11%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.13 R$10.80

43.19%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.22 R$6.20

47.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.71 R$3.60

94.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.95 R$9.87

66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.43 R$12.31

128.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.05 R$5.33

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.98 R$10.06

19.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.14 R$5.80

49.12%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.21 R$11.21

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.82 R$49.77

4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.31 R$21.87

125.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.89 R$39.99

76.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.17 R$11.02

90.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.38 R$7.02

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.20 R$6.08

85.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.69 R$8.58

34.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.39 R$7.03

43.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.27 R$6.45

31.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.88 R$4.46

34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.77 R$3.88

61.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.36 R$11.97

63.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$8.07 R$40.90

70.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.27 R$6.44

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.25 R$11.42

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.85 R$4.30

45.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$37.93 R$192

106.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.95 R$4.83

34.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.92 R$4.66

133.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.24 R$6.29

8.87%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$23.8K R$120.7K

45.99%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$30.7K R$155.9K

12.81%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$95.3 R$483

74.96%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$17.60 R$89.2

-22.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$21.13 R$107

37.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$20.40 R$103

121.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$15.06 R$76.4

14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.76 R$34.25

3.11%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$184 R$935

328.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$2,903 R$14.7K

211.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$64.5 R$327

36.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$54.2 R$275

7.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$76.1 R$386

82.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$59.2 R$300

66.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$360 R$1,824

185.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$184 R$930

237.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$577 R$2,923

226.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$322 R$1,635

212.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,529 R$7,749

160.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$717 R$3,633

137.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$394 R$1,998

68.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Sao Luis

$184 22.1% 70.4% $436

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Sao Luis

$197 23.7% 33.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Sao Luis

$134 16.1% 36% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Sao Luis

$114 13.8% 33.8% $58

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Sao Luis

$122 14.6% 28.8% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sao Luis

$47 5.6% 50.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Sao Luis

$34 4.1% 42.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $360 in Sao Luis. 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 68% 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 $40.00 in Sao Luis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $197 – making Sao Luis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,037,775

💱 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

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Between locations

Medellin Sao Luis 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sao Luis

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 Luis: 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 $1,247 in Sao Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Luis, 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 Luis. 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 $832 in Sao Luis. That's a gap of about 95%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Luis, where all-in costs run around $832, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sao Luis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Luis – 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 Luis. 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.