Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Boa Vista and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Joao da Boa Vista and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $823 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,320 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,818 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818
Medellin $3,190

Sao Joao da Boa Vista is about 49% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista sits 39% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 R$28.22

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-29.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.03 R$116

$46.13 COP 146.7K

-50.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.45

$9.50 COP 30.2K

-25.58%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R$10.29

$3.11 COP 9,897

-34.08%

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

$1.17 R$5.89

$1.83 COP 5,818

-36.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.62

$1.38 COP 4,374

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$9.94

$3.05 COP 9,702

-35.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$10.32

$5.50 COP 17.5K

-62.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.37

$1.45 COP 4,614

-26.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.23

$2.36 COP 7,519

-30.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.90

$1.68 COP 5,345

-41.67%

Eggs

$2.37 R$11.90

$2.86 COP 9,106

-17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 R$50.2

$10.19 COP 32.4K

-1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 R$25.09

$9.53 COP 30.3K

-47.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 R$50.5

$14.04 COP 44.7K

-28.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R$9.80

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-52.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.88

$1.50 COP 4,757

-22.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.89

$2.17 COP 6,913

-55.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.85

$2.31 COP 7,333

-32.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 R$4.15

$1.93 COP 6,132

-56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.64 COP 5,212

-50.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 R$3.90

$1.13 COP 3,582

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.87

$1.25 COP 3,966

-38.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 R$11.80

$3.99 COP 12.7K

-41.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R$30.55

$13.35 COP 42.5K

-54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.90

$1.70 COP 5,400

-30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R$9.93

$2.37 COP 7,549

-16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.38

$1.21 COP 3,839

-28.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.48 R$223

$76.5 COP 243.3K

-41.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 R$7.89

$1.32 COP 4,193

18.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 R$7.87

$2.14 COP 6,795

-26.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 R$41.10

$8.47 COP 26.9K

-3.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.35

$1.30 COP 4,127

-17.69%

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

$19.8K R$99.3K

$28.0K COP 89.0M

-29.31%

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

$33.3K R$166.9K

$35.4K COP 112.6M

-6.05%

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

$95.3 R$478

$172 COP 547.3K

-44.62%

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

$9.88 R$49.55

$13.37 COP 42.5K

-26.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.70 R$98.8

$28.73 COP 91.4K

-31.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.59 R$143

$45.24 COP 143.9K

-36.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.76 R$159

$17.04 COP 54.2K

86.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 R$27.56

$6.28 COP 20.0K

-12.58%

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

$280 R$1,403

$770 COP 2.4M

-63.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K R$51.8K

$9,011 COP 28.7M

14.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R$274

$86.4 COP 274.8K

-36.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.79 R$190

$57.1 COP 181.7K

-33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 R$258

$137 COP 434.3K

-62.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 R$304

$97.9 COP 311.4K

-38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,753

$1,055 COP 3.4M

-66.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 R$1,018

$616 COP 2.0M

-67.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 R$3,402

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,333

$1,023 COP 3.3M

-54.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,581 R$7,931

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-61.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,031 R$5,175

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-38.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 R$3,307

$652 COP 2.1M

1.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.79

10.94

16.91%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$203 24.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 204% $413

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$193 23.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 52.9% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$125 15.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 71.5% $89

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$113 13.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 48.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 85% $78

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 7%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 62.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$40 4.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 46.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 1% higher in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $295 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

10:18 10:18 AM

2 h behind Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,547

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,564 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Joao da Boa Vista Medellin 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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 Joao da Boa Vista vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,234 per month in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 96%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Boa Vista – 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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.