Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Jose dos Campos and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos: $1,037 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose dos Campos
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Sao Jose dos Campos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sao Jose dos Campos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,037

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Jose dos Campos $1,037
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Jose dos Campos $1,613
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,189 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sao Jose dos Campos $2,189
Medellin $3,186

Sao Jose dos Campos is about 37% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Jose dos Campos sits 24% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.63

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-19.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.92 R$206

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-19.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.27 R$44.97

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-12.95%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R$11.19

$3.01 COP 9,734

-31.56%

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

$1.58 R$8.60

$1.80 COP 5,809

-12.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$6.11

$1.41 COP 4,560

-20.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 R$13.81

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 R$22.42

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$6.30

$1.51 COP 4,875

-23.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 R$10.36

$2.38 COP 7,677

-20.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 R$6.00

$1.77 COP 5,719

-37.85%

Eggs

$2.58 R$14.01

$2.89 COP 9,332

-10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 R$46.25

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-16.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 R$23.02

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 R$55.3

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 R$13.88

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-35.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R$9.49

$1.55 COP 5,011

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.37

$2.18 COP 7,047

-21.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R$9.48

$2.18 COP 7,050

-20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$7.15

$1.96 COP 6,336

-33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.97

$1.59 COP 5,131

-19.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 R$4.90

$1.15 COP 3,698

-21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.11

$1.24 COP 4,014

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 R$14.28

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-33.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 R$45.72

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$8.44

$1.66 COP 5,359

-6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 R$22.44

$2.26 COP 7,290

82.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R$6.00

$1.17 COP 3,770

-5.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.63 R$199

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-52.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.45

$1.27 COP 4,094

-6.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 R$7.21

$2.05 COP 6,611

-35.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.66 R$47.10

$8.55 COP 27.6K

1.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.68

$1.35 COP 4,348

-8.89%

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

$22.4K R$121.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-34.38%

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

$32.0K R$174.2K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-7.56%

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

$40.81 R$222

$170 COP 547.7K

-75.94%

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

$13.39 R$72.8

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.24 R$93.7

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-38.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.28 R$148

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-37.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.55 R$177

$17.19 COP 55.5K

89.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 R$41.12

$6.91 COP 22.3K

9.41%

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

$404 R$2,196

$797 COP 2.6M

-49.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,234 R$39.3K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-20.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 R$282

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-38.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 R$302

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-4.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$491

$135 COP 435.7K

-33.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R$434

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-18.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 R$2,586

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-60.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R$2,188

$642 COP 2.1M

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 R$4,594

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-58.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 R$3,620

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-34.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,986 R$10.8K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-52.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 R$7,799

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-24.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$765 R$4,159

$657 COP 2.1M

16.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

10.94

1.65%

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

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Jose dos Campos

$403 38.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 59.4% $239

Groceries & Markets

Sao Jose dos Campos

$213 20.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 39.2% $84

Eating Out

Sao Jose dos Campos

$134 12.9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 26.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Jose dos Campos

$125 12%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 35.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Jose dos Campos

$71 6.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 196% $140

Getting Around

Sao Jose dos Campos

$49 4.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 91.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Jose dos Campos

$42 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 35.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 16% higher in Sao Jose dos Campos, 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 $38 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $297 – making Sao Jose dos Campos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Jose dos Campos

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

2 h behind Sao Jose dos Campos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,054

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Jose dos Campos Medellin 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Jose dos Campos
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 Jose dos Campos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 $1,037 in Sao Jose dos Campos and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Sao Jose dos Campos about 37% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,037 in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Sao Jose dos Campos is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 37% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.