Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Alegre, Sao Tome and Principe and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $199 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$199

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $199 per month in Porto Alegre vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Porto Alegre $199
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $412 per month in Porto Alegre vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Porto Alegre $412
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $625 per month in Porto Alegre vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Porto Alegre $625
Medellin $3,249

Porto Alegre is about 88% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Porto Alegre sits 85% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.16 STN 832

$46.53 COP 150.3K

-17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 STN 124

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-39.70%

Cappuccino

$2.47 STN 53.8

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-21.09%

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

$1.06 STN 23.12

$1.77 COP 5,705

-40.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 STN 19.18

$1.42 COP 4,601

-38.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 STN 50.2

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 STN 45.37

$2.29 COP 7,401

-9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 STN 22.61

$1.94 COP 6,282

-46.39%

Eggs

$2.32 STN 50.6

$3.07 COP 9,905

-24.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 STN 406

$9.99 COP 32.3K

86.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 STN 269

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-11.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 STN 49.93

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-41.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 STN 24.94

$1.76 COP 5,690

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

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

$178 COP 574.1K

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

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 Porto Alegre: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Groceries & Markets

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Eating Out

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Getting Around

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Porto Alegre

–

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Porto Alegre versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $133 vs $307 – making Porto Alegre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

05:28 5:28 AM

5 h behind Porto Alegre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

795

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe Dobra (Db)

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

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).

USD to STN in detail →

On the map

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Porto Alegre Medellin 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Porto Alegre
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

Porto Alegre vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 751%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $298 per month in Porto Alegre and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 131% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Porto Alegre and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Porto Alegre, where all-in costs run around $199, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Porto Alegre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $199 in Porto Alegre to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.