Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $985 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$985

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $985
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,686 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,686
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,388 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $2,388
Medellin $3,186

Sao Caetano do Sul is about 40% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sao Caetano do Sul sits 28% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 R$45.06

$8.09 COP 25.4K

4.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.05 R$198

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-21.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 R$45.85

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-9.79%

Cappuccino

$2.15 R$11.48

$3.01 COP 9,485

-28.57%

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

$1.25 R$6.71

$1.80 COP 5,660

-30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.74

$1.41 COP 4,443

-36.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 R$12.18

$3.18 COP 9,990

-28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 R$19.34

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.98

$1.51 COP 4,751

-25.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$10.22

$2.38 COP 7,480

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$7.23

$1.77 COP 5,573

-23.73%

Eggs

$2.39 R$12.76

$2.89 COP 9,093

-17.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 R$54.0

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 R$26.50

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-49.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 R$52.9

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 R$12.03

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-43.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.50

$1.55 COP 4,883

2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R$8.09

$2.18 COP 6,867

-30.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 R$9.93

$2.18 COP 6,870

-14.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$7.02

$1.96 COP 6,174

-33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.25

$1.59 COP 5,000

-26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 R$4.70

$1.15 COP 3,604

-23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.97

$1.24 COP 3,911

-40.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.81

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-39.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 R$45.56

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-37.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 R$9.18

$1.66 COP 5,222

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.47

$2.26 COP 7,104

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 R$3.37

$1.17 COP 3,674

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.55

$1.27 COP 3,989

-3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.82

$2.05 COP 6,442

-56.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 R$43.23

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-5.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.64

$1.35 COP 4,237

-8.15%

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

$21.9K R$117.0K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-35.80%

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

$31.5K R$168.8K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-9.02%

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

$98.0 R$524

$170 COP 533.7K

-42.23%

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

$13.73 R$73.5

$13.55 COP 42.6K

1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.02 R$112

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-25.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.43 R$248

$43.70 COP 137.5K

6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.29 R$226

$17.19 COP 54.1K

146.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 R$48.36

$6.91 COP 21.7K

30.82%

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

$418 R$2,234

$797 COP 2.5M

-47.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K R$55.0K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

12.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 R$328

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-27.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 R$280

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 R$498

$135 COP 424.6K

-31.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$463

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 R$2,102

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-67.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 R$1,534

$642 COP 2.0M

-55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 R$4,258

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 R$4,218

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-22.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,689 R$9,039

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-59.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,367 R$7,318

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-28.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$877 R$4,693

$657 COP 2.1M

33.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

10.94

-1.19%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Caetano do Sul

$287 29.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 124% $355

Groceries & Markets

Sao Caetano do Sul

$215 21.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 38.2% $82

Eating Out

Sao Caetano do Sul

$146 14.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 16.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Caetano do Sul

$133 13.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 59.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Caetano do Sul

$132 13.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 28.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Caetano do Sul

$65 6.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 10.8% $7

Getting Around

Sao Caetano do Sul

$8.2 * 0.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1035% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $393 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,208 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 33% higher in Sao Caetano 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 $37 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $297 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

2 h behind Sao Caetano do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,655

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Caetano do Sul Medellin 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Caetano do Sul
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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $393 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

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

Groceries cost about 38% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $985 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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