Rio de Janeiro vs Medellín Cost of Living
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) · Overall index 34.8 — Medellín (Colombia) · Overall index 28.3
Summary
- Overall, Medellín is 19% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro.
- Rent in Medellín is 33% cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro.
- Dining out in Medellín is 19% cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro.
| Item | Rio de Janeiro | Medellín | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -33% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,094 | $723 | -34% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $716 | $493 | -31% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,097 | $1,419 | -32% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,336 | $898 | -33% |
| Groceries | -15% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.56 | $0.48 | -14% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.68 | $1.41 | -16% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.23 | $2.07 | -7% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.92 | $1.65 | -14% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.66 | $5.47 | -3% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.69 | $5.22 | -8% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.82 | $7.93 | +1% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.48 | $1.9 | -23% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.91 | $0.7 | -23% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.17 | $1.57 | -28% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.69 | $2.14 | -20% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.41 | $1.12 | -21% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.37 | $0.96 | -30% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.03 | $0.91 | -12% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.13 | $0.93 | -18% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.11 | $6.22 | +2% |
| Transport | -17% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.85 | $0.76 | -11% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $45.1 | $36.9 | -18% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.45 | $1.15 | -21% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.76 | $0.54 | -29% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.33 | $0.31 | -6% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $9,328 | $7,832 | -16% |
| Dining out | -19% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.25 | $7.07 | -24% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $43.7 | $36.6 | -16% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4.67 | $3.42 | -27% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $1.79 | -17% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $0.84 | -5% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.63 | $2.24 | -15% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.39 | $2.76 | -19% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.87 | $0.65 | -25% |
| Telecom | -6% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $29.5 | $28.7 | -3% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $30.7 | $26.6 | -13% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.15 | $0.16 | +7% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.03 | $6.25 | -11% |
| Utilities & household | -16% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $81 | $56.8 | -30% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.09 | -18% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.96 | $1.6 | -18% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.64 | $0.54 | -16% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.3 | $8.16 | -21% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $34.8 | $29.5 | -15% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.42 | $5.13 | -31% |
| Men's haircut | $14.1 | $12.9 | -9% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $10.2 | $10.4 | +2% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $871 | $869 | 0% |
3,083 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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