Medellín vs São Paulo Cost of Living
Medellín (Colombia) · Overall index 28.3 — São Paulo (Brazil) · Overall index 35.9
Summary
- Overall, São Paulo is 27% more expensive than Medellín.
- Rent in São Paulo is 44% more expensive than in Medellín.
- Utilities & household in São Paulo is 26% more expensive than in Medellín.
| Item | Medellín | São Paulo | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +44% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $723 | $966 | +34% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $493 | $665 | +35% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,419 | $2,186 | +54% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $898 | $1,366 | +52% |
| Groceries | +23% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.48 | $0.55 | +15% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.41 | $1.73 | +23% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.07 | $2.36 | +14% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.65 | $2.35 | +42% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.47 | $7.12 | +30% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.22 | $6.35 | +22% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.93 | $8.01 | +1% |
| Apples (1kg) | $1.9 | $2.5 | +32% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.7 | $1.05 | +50% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.57 | $1.99 | +27% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.14 | $2.58 | +21% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.12 | $1.33 | +19% |
| Onions (1kg) | $0.96 | $1.38 | +44% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $0.91 | $1.07 | +18% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.93 | $1.12 | +20% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.22 | $6.84 | +10% |
| Transport | +25% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.76 | $0.91 | +20% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $36.9 | $42.2 | +14% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.15 | $1.64 | +43% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.54 | $0.64 | +19% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.31 | $0.37 | +19% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $7,832 | $10,655 | +36% |
| Dining out | +24% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.07 | $8.37 | +18% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $36.6 | $48.8 | +33% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.42 | $4.92 | +44% |
| Cappuccino | $1.79 | $2.15 | +20% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.84 | $1.15 | +37% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.24 | $2.74 | +22% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.76 | $3.05 | +11% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.65 | $0.75 | +15% |
| Telecom | +18% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $28.7 | $33.7 | +17% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $26.6 | $33 | +24% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.16 | $0.18 | +12% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $6.25 | $7.35 | +18% |
| Utilities & household | +26% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $56.8 | $88.5 | +56% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.09 | $0.11 | +22% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.6 | $2.26 | +41% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.54 | $0.64 | +19% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $8.16 | $10.7 | +31% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $29.5 | $34 | +15% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $5.13 | $6.59 | +28% |
| Men's haircut | $12.9 | $13.8 | +7% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $10.4 | $12.6 | +21% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $869 | $1,022 | +18% |
3,109 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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