Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Natal and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Natal: $793 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Natal
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Natal Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Natal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$793

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Natal and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Natal and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $793 per month in Natal vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Natal $793
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,281 per month in Natal vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Natal $1,281
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,770 per month in Natal vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Natal $1,770
Medellin $3,249

Natal is about 53% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Natal sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 R$29.87

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-34.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 R$201

$46.53 COP 150.2K

-20.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 R$38.53

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-25.55%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$10.16

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-40.58%

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

$1.09 R$5.93

$1.77 COP 5,702

-38.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.41

$1.42 COP 4,599

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 R$8.73

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-49.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.80

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R$6.25

$1.53 COP 4,948

-25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R$5.99

$2.29 COP 7,397

-51.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.66

$1.94 COP 6,279

-46.39%

Eggs

$1.85 R$10.12

$3.07 COP 9,900

-39.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 R$36.25

$9.99 COP 32.3K

-33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 R$21.28

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-62.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R$40.83

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-46.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R$11.52

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-47.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 R$4.27

$1.53 COP 4,934

-49.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 R$4.87

$2.10 COP 6,794

-57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.21

$2.29 COP 7,405

-50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 R$5.20

$2.11 COP 6,810

-54.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.55

$1.71 COP 5,518

-40.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 R$2.91

$1.17 COP 3,778

-54.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$3.14

$1.58 COP 5,101

-63.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 R$9.12

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-57.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 R$39.06

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-49.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$7.11

$1.76 COP 5,688

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$14.14

$2.71 COP 8,756

-4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.15

$1.18 COP 3,809

-20.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.24 R$171

$76.3 COP 246.3K

-59.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.81 COP 5,833

-51.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 R$3.23

$2.13 COP 6,874

-72.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 R$33.36

$8.13 COP 26.3K

-24.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.38

$1.28 COP 4,117

-8.59%

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

$21.6K R$118.1K

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-37.20%

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

$31.7K R$172.9K

$34.1K COP 110.2M

-7.25%

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

$51.7 R$282

$178 COP 573.8K

-70.91%

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

$15.31 R$83.6

$13.89 COP 44.8K

10.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 R$99.6

$30.74 COP 99.2K

-40.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.57 R$118

$41.94 COP 135.4K

-48.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.22 R$165

$16.80 COP 54.2K

79.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 R$39.09

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-4.15%

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

$103 R$564

$790 COP 2.6M

-86.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,376 R$23.9K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-64.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.78 R$245

$86.3 COP 278.7K

-48.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 R$245

$59.3 COP 191.3K

-24.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 R$374

$138 COP 446.6K

-50.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 R$384

$98.8 COP 319.0K

-28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 R$2,389

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-67.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 R$1,437

$667 COP 2.2M

-60.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 R$4,276

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-60.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 R$2,719

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-51.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 R$7,522

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-66.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$905 R$4,940

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-53.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 R$2,781

$646 COP 2.1M

-21.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

10.94

6.67%

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

Last update for Natal: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Natal

$263 33.2%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 154% $404

Groceries & Markets

Natal

$160 20.2%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 91.9% $147

Eating Out

Natal

$106 13.4%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 62.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Natal

$103 13%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 67.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Natal

$85 10.8%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 161% $137

Getting Around

Natal

$39 4.9%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 141% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Natal

$36 4.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 58.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $437 in Natal versus $1,341 in Medellin. 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 27% 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 $37 in Natal versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $307 – making Natal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Natal

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

19:01 7:01 PM

2 h behind Natal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

751,300

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Natal Medellin 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Natal
Medellin

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

Natal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Natal and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Natal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $437 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Natal and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $793 in Natal and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Natal about 53% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Natal – 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 Natal. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.