Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Teresina and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Teresina: $750 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Teresina
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Teresina Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Teresina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$750

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $750 per month in Teresina vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Teresina $750
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $1,236 per month in Teresina vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Teresina $1,236
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $1,722 per month in Teresina vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Teresina $1,722
Medellin $3,139

Teresina is about 53% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Teresina sits 44% below the global median, while Medellin is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 R$29.18

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-26.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.37 R$102

$46.55 COP 148.3K

-56.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 R$30.98

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-34.15%

Cappuccino

$2.14 R$10.69

$2.91 COP 9,277

-26.46%

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

$1.09 R$5.44

$1.75 COP 5,585

-37.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.81

$1.32 COP 4,218

-42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 R$7.66

$3.13 COP 9,969

-50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R$15.88

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-42.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 R$7.48

$1.41 COP 4,495

6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 R$11.55

$2.44 COP 7,777

-5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.35

$1.63 COP 5,191

-9.82%

Eggs

$4.45 R$22.21

$2.82 COP 8,990

57.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 R$39.08

$9.69 COP 30.9K

-19.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 R$21.42

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 R$33.45

$13.46 COP 42.9K

-50.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R$9.74

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-51.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.79

$1.48 COP 4,719

-35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.76

$2.12 COP 6,768

-55.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.51

$2.25 COP 7,178

-42.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.57

$1.91 COP 6,092

-41.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.78

$1.62 COP 5,160

-40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 R$2.72

$1.15 COP 3,658

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.34

$1.26 COP 4,021

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 R$16.42

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-13.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 R$48.59

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R$7.07

$1.60 COP 5,083

-11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.71

$2.26 COP 7,188

30.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.90

$1.17 COP 3,731

-16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.52 R$227

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-39.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 R$8.15

$1.27 COP 4,056

28.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R$3.86

$2.05 COP 6,531

-62.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 R$40.68

$8.20 COP 26.1K

-0.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.86

$1.27 COP 4,046

-7.87%

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

$23.8K R$118.6K

$26.8K COP 85.3M

-11.28%

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

$32.0K R$159.7K

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-6.98%

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

$77.3 R$386

$162 COP 516.9K

-52.33%

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

$10.68 R$53.3

$13.12 COP 41.8K

-18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 R$88.6

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-36.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 R$107

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-51.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.12 R$65.5

$16.33 COP 52.0K

-19.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$38.95

$6.09 COP 19.4K

28.08%

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

$575 R$2,871

$764 COP 2.4M

-24.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,241 R$36.1K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

-18.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.08 R$220

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-48.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.68 R$148

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-48.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 R$380

$132 COP 419.8K

-42.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.4 R$252

$95.8 COP 305.1K

-47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 R$828

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-83.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 R$755

$604 COP 1.9M

-74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 R$2,063

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-77.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 R$2,150

$993 COP 3.2M

-56.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,388 R$6,927

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-64.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R$3,817

$1,639 COP 5.2M

-53.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$402 R$2,004

$626 COP 2.0M

-35.87%

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 Teresina: October 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Teresina

$210 27.6%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 37.2% $78

Accommodation & Living

Teresina

$151 19.8%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 300% $453

Eating Out

Teresina

$113 14.8%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 47.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Teresina

$106 13.9%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 92.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Teresina

$90 11.8%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 84.6% $76

Getting Around

Teresina

$55 7.2%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 66% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Teresina

$37 4.9%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 52.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $166 in Teresina versus $1,028 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 56% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Teresina versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $288 – making Teresina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Teresina

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

2 h behind Teresina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

866,300

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Teresina Medellin 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Teresina
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

Teresina vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,125 per month in Teresina and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Teresina, 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 $20.00 in Teresina and $47.00 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 $750 in Teresina and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 112%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Teresina, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Teresina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Teresina – 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 Teresina. 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.