Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul: $822 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul
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Torres, Rio Grande do Sul Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

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 Torres, Rio Grande do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $822 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Torres, Rio Grande do Sul $822

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,299 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Torres, Rio Grande do Sul $1,299

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,776 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Torres, Rio Grande do Sul $1,776

Medellin costs about 106% more than Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Torres, Rio Grande do Sul is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.54 R$35.89

27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$29.88 R$164

55.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$6.33 R$34.73

49.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.45 R$7.97

115.86%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$1.10 R$6.02

60.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.95 R$5.19

49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.83 R$10.07

72.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.20 R$12.05

159.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$0.91 R$4.97

68.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$1.52 R$8.32

50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$0.77 R$4.20

151.95%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$2.01 R$11.00

52.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$6.58 R$36.11

51.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.38 R$24.03

138.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$6.73 R$36.93

107.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.02 R$11.09

100.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$0.93 R$5.11

64.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$1.08 R$5.92

94.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$1.27 R$6.97

80.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$0.83 R$4.57

154.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$1.05 R$5.75

62.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$0.57 R$3.14

105.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.77 R$4.25

105.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.17 R$11.88

80.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$4.56 R$25.00

207.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$0.96 R$5.27

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$1.51 R$8.26

79.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$0.98 R$5.40

20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$41.29 R$227

84.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$0.90 R$4.92

101.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$0.39 R$2.13

446.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$7.50 R$41.17

8.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.09 R$5.96

17.43%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$17.0K R$93.2K

102.67%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$28.2K R$154.5K

21.25%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$91.9 R$504

93.48%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$10.40 R$57.1

33.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$19.16 R$105

60.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$23.90 R$131

75.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$25.61 R$141

-34.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.34 R$34.81

17.82%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$185 R$1,016

326.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$4,838 R$26.5K

154.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$55.5 R$305

55.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$68.2 R$374

-13.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$74.0 R$406

86.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$66.1 R$363

49.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$334 R$1,832

301.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$231 R$1,265

189.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$635 R$3,487

210.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$450 R$2,468

129.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,583 R$8,685

158.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,164 R$6,385

66.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$747 R$4,100

-13.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Torres, Rio Grande do Sul: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$231 28.1% 65.4% $437

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$157 19% 49% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$121 14.8% 45.4% $101

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$110 13.4% 36% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$119 14.4% 31.1% $54

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$48 5.8% 48.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

$37 4.5% 35.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $334 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul. 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 Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, 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 $30 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $157 – making Torres, Rio Grande do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

11:31 11:31 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

41,751

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.16 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Torres, Rio Grande do Sul 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Torres, Rio Grande do Sul

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 Torres, Rio Grande do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,234 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $334 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $822 in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul. That makes Torres, Rio Grande do Sul about 51% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, where all-in costs run around $822, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Torres, Rio Grande do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Torres, Rio Grande do Sul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Torres, Rio Grande do Sul is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.