Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Branco and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio Branco: $837 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Rio Branco
Learn more

Rio Branco Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio Branco

🇧🇷 Brazil

$837

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $837 per month in Rio Branco vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Rio Branco $837
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,322 per month in Rio Branco vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Rio Branco $1,322
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,806 per month in Rio Branco vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Rio Branco $1,806
Medellin $3,249

Rio Branco is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio Branco sits 38% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 R$35.92

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.93 R$131

$46.53 COP 150.1K

-48.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 R$37.35

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-27.77%

Cappuccino

$2.78 R$15.15

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-11.18%

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

$1.33 R$7.24

$1.77 COP 5,696

-24.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.94

$1.42 COP 4,594

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 R$10.25

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 R$15.67

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-49.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.40

$1.53 COP 4,943

-35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 R$8.68

$2.29 COP 7,389

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.94 COP 6,273

-38.14%

Eggs

$2.08 R$11.37

$3.07 COP 9,889

-32.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 R$47.30

$9.99 COP 32.2K

-13.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.08 R$22.30

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R$42.65

$13.96 COP 45.0K

-44.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 R$11.49

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-48.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.55

$1.53 COP 4,929

-21.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.94

$2.10 COP 6,786

-48.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.92

$2.29 COP 7,397

-36.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.45

$2.11 COP 6,803

-44.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.71

$1.71 COP 5,512

-38.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$4.19

$1.17 COP 3,774

-34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.88

$1.58 COP 5,096

-55.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.78

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-40.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 R$41.12

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-46.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.67

$1.76 COP 5,682

-30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R$10.72

$2.71 COP 8,746

-27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 R$3.40

$1.18 COP 3,805

-47.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.30 R$225

$76.3 COP 246.0K

-45.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.72

$1.81 COP 5,827

-32.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.36

$2.13 COP 6,867

-62.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 R$39.59

$8.13 COP 26.2K

-10.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$7.05

$1.28 COP 4,113

0.78%

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

$21.9K R$119.6K

$34.4K COP 111.1M

-36.40%

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

$30.8K R$168.2K

$34.1K COP 110.1M

-9.76%

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

$71.9 R$393

$178 COP 573.2K

-59.53%

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

$11.31 R$61.8

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-18.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.60 R$107

$30.74 COP 99.1K

-36.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.91 R$131

$41.94 COP 135.3K

-42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.12 R$143

$16.80 COP 54.2K

55.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 R$37.35

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-8.43%

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

$260 R$1,420

$790 COP 2.5M

-67.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,586 R$36.0K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 R$286

$86.3 COP 278.4K

-39.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 R$257

$59.3 COP 191.1K

-20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 R$458

$138 COP 446.2K

-39.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.4 R$368

$98.8 COP 318.7K

-31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 R$1,865

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-74.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 R$1,229

$667 COP 2.2M

-66.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 R$3,461

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-67.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 R$2,448

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-56.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,585 R$8,653

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-61.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R$8,223

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-22.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 R$1,316

$646 COP 2.1M

-62.70%

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 Rio Branco: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio Branco

$225 26.9%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 197% $442

Groceries & Markets

Rio Branco

$180 21.5%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 70.4% $127

Eating Out

Rio Branco

$130 15.5%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 33% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Branco

$113 13.5%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 52.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Branco

$103 12.3%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 116% $120

Getting Around

Rio Branco

$49 5.9%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 90.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Branco

$38 4.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 51.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $342 in Rio Branco 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 in Medellin are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Rio Branco versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $307 – making Rio Branco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio Branco

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

Same time as Rio Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,756

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio Branco Medellin 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio Branco
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

Rio Branco vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,256 per month in Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Rio Branco 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 $837 in Rio Branco and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Rio Branco about 51% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio Branco, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Rio Branco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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