Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volta Redonda and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Volta Redonda: $817 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Volta Redonda
Learn more

Volta Redonda Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Volta Redonda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Volta Redonda vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Volta Redonda $817
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,294 per month in Volta Redonda vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Volta Redonda $1,294
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,771 per month in Volta Redonda vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Volta Redonda $1,771
Medellin $3,190

Volta Redonda is about 49% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Volta Redonda sits 39% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 R$15.58

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-61.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.42 R$205

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-12.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 R$34.16

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-29.05%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.11 COP 9,866

-19.94%

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

$1.44 R$7.30

$1.83 COP 5,800

-21.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.14

$1.38 COP 4,360

-55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.97

$3.05 COP 9,672

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 R$22.81

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.45 COP 4,600

-30.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$9.76

$2.36 COP 7,496

-18.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$1.68 COP 5,328

-26.79%

Eggs

$2.39 R$12.10

$2.86 COP 9,077

-16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 R$34.65

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-32.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 R$16.52

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-65.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$50.9

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.01

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-46.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.50 COP 4,742

-21.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.96

$2.17 COP 6,891

-54.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.42

$2.31 COP 7,310

-11.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.93 COP 6,113

-23.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.64 COP 5,196

-24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$2.98

$1.13 COP 3,571

-47.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 R$2.48

$1.25 COP 3,954

-60.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 R$8.00

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-60.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 R$44.49

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-34.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.70 COP 5,384

-33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R$8.40

$2.37 COP 7,525

-29.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.90

$1.21 COP 3,827

-19.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.59 R$180

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-53.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 R$7.99

$1.32 COP 4,179

19.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$5.01

$2.14 COP 6,774

-53.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 R$52.7

$8.47 COP 26.8K

22.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.30 COP 4,114

-5.38%

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

$24.2K R$122.8K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-13.47%

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

$33.7K R$170.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-4.95%

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

$96.2 R$488

$172 COP 545.6K

-44.09%

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

$11.25 R$57.0

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-15.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.11 R$112

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-23.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.50 R$155

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-32.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 R$39.09

$6.28 COP 19.9K

22.77%

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

$149 R$756

$770 COP 2.4M

-80.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,034 R$15.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-66.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.44 R$230

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-47.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 R$201

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-30.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 R$256

$137 COP 432.9K

-62.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 R$478

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 R$1,398

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-73.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 R$1,033

$616 COP 2.0M

-66.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 R$2,988

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-68.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 R$1,959

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-62.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$831 R$4,215

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-79.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 R$3,414

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-59.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 R$1,536

$652 COP 2.1M

-53.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.94

6.76%

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

Last update for Volta Redonda: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Volta Redonda

$204 24.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 202% $412

Groceries & Markets

Volta Redonda

$185 22.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 59.7% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Volta Redonda

$130 15.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 65.3% $85

Eating Out

Volta Redonda

$104 12.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 62.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Volta Redonda

$103 12.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 64.4% $67

Getting Around

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 103% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 25.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Volta Redonda 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 115% 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 $40.00 in Volta Redonda versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $295 – making Volta Redonda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Volta Redonda

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

2 h behind Volta Redonda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

261,563

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Volta Redonda Medellin 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Volta Redonda
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

Volta Redonda vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda, 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 $40.00 in Volta Redonda 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 $817 in Volta Redonda and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 98%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Volta Redonda, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Volta Redonda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Volta Redonda – 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 Volta Redonda. 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.