Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pelotas and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pelotas: $759 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Pelotas
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Pelotas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pelotas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$759

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pelotas 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 Pelotas and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $759 per month in Pelotas vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Pelotas $759
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,178 per month in Pelotas vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Pelotas $1,178
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,598 per month in Pelotas vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Pelotas $1,598
Medellin $3,190

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

Pelotas sits 44% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 R$31.21

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.70 R$89.7

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-61.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 R$33.78

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-29.89%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.64

$3.11 COP 9,866

-19.94%

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

$1.35 R$6.86

$1.83 COP 5,800

-26.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.65

$1.38 COP 4,360

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 R$7.41

$3.05 COP 9,672

-52.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.87

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-71.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.45 COP 4,600

-39.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R$6.03

$2.36 COP 7,496

-49.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.61

$1.68 COP 5,328

-45.83%

Eggs

$2.31 R$11.69

$2.86 COP 9,077

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 R$51.5

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 R$23.91

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-50.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$49.37

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-30.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 R$12.54

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.01

$1.50 COP 4,742

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.11

$2.17 COP 6,891

-35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.19

$2.31 COP 7,310

-47.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.15

$1.93 COP 6,113

-37.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.64 COP 5,196

-40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 R$4.41

$1.13 COP 3,571

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 R$2.59

$1.25 COP 3,954

-59.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.08

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-40.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.50 R$38.01

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-43.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.44

$1.70 COP 5,384

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.14

$2.37 COP 7,525

-57.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.21 COP 3,827

1.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 R$266

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$1.32 COP 4,179

-0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.03

$2.14 COP 6,774

-62.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 R$41.92

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-2.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.30 COP 4,114

-1.54%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-15.93%

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

$33.8K R$171.4K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-4.53%

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

$77.7 R$394

$172 COP 545.6K

-54.83%

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

$7.73 R$39.19

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-42.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.15 R$102

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-29.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.80 R$100

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-56.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 R$102

$17.04 COP 54.0K

18.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 R$25.08

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-21.18%

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

$573 R$2,902

$770 COP 2.4M

-25.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K R$122.5K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

168.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.20 R$178

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-59.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.28 R$154

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-47.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 R$307

$137 COP 432.9K

-55.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 R$410

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,202

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-77.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 R$843

$616 COP 2.0M

-73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 R$1,978

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-79.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 R$1,603

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-69.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 R$8,004

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-61.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$802 R$4,065

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-52.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 R$2,331

$652 COP 2.1M

-29.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

10.94

5.12%

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

Last update for Pelotas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pelotas

$184 24.2%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 60.4% $111

Accommodation & Living

Pelotas

$166 21.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 270% $450

Eating Out

Pelotas

$118 15.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 42.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pelotas

$106 13.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 103% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Pelotas

$93 12.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 82.5% $77

Getting Around

Pelotas

$63 8.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 48.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pelotas

$30 3.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 94.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Pelotas versus $1,055 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 42% 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 $18.00 in Pelotas versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $295 – making Pelotas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Pelotas

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

2 h behind Pelotas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,685

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pelotas Medellin 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Pelotas
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

Pelotas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,139 per month in Pelotas and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pelotas, 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 $18.00 in Pelotas and $46.00 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 $759 in Pelotas and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 113%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pelotas, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Pelotas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pelotas – 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 Pelotas. 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.