Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Teresina

For one person, living is cheaper in Teresina: $750 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Teresina
Learn more

Teresina Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Teresina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Teresina

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $750 in Teresina, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Teresina $750

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,236 in Teresina, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Teresina $1,236

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,722 in Teresina, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Teresina $1,722

Medellin costs about 112% more than Teresina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Teresina is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$5.85 R$29.18

36.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$20.37 R$102

128.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$6.21 R$30.98

51.85%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$2.14 R$10.69

35.98%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.09 R$5.44

60.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.76 R$3.81

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.54 R$7.66

103.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$3.18 R$15.88

74.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.50 R$7.48

-6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$2.31 R$11.55

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.47 R$7.35

10.88%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$4.45 R$22.21

-36.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$7.83 R$39.08

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$4.29 R$21.42

117.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$6.70 R$33.45

100.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.95 R$9.74

105.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$0.96 R$4.79

54.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$0.95 R$4.76

123.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.30 R$6.51

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.12 R$5.57

70.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.96 R$4.78

68.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.54 R$2.72

112.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$1.47 R$7.34

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$3.29 R$16.42

16.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$9.73 R$48.59

34.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.42 R$7.07

12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.95 R$14.71

-23.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.98 R$4.90

19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$45.52 R$227

64.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.63 R$8.15

-22.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.77 R$3.86

166.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$8.15 R$40.68

0.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.17 R$5.86

8.55%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$23.8K R$118.6K

12.72%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$32.0K R$159.7K

7.51%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$77.3 R$386

109.76%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$10.68 R$53.3

22.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$17.75 R$88.6

58.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$21.47 R$107

106.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$13.12 R$65.5

24.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$7.80 R$38.95

-21.92%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$575 R$2,871

32.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$7,241 R$36.1K

22.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$44.08 R$220

92.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$29.68 R$148

93.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$76.2 R$380

72.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$50.4 R$252

89.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$166 R$828

519.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$151 R$755

299.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$413 R$2,063

336.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$431 R$2,150

130.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,388 R$6,927

182.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$765 R$3,817

114.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$402 R$2,004

55.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Teresina: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Teresina

$151 19.8% 75% $453

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Teresina

$210 27.6% 27.1% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Teresina

$106 13.9% 48% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Teresina

$90 11.8% 45.8% $76

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Teresina

$113 14.8% 32.4% $54

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Teresina

$55 7.2% 39.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Teresina

$37 4.9% 34.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $166 in Teresina. 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 56% 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 $20.00 in Teresina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $210 – making Teresina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Teresina

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

866,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Teresina 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Teresina

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 Teresina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,125 in Teresina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Teresina, 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 $20.00 in Teresina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $750 in Teresina. That's a gap of about 112%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Teresina, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Teresina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Teresina – 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 Teresina. 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.