São Paulo vs Medellín Cost of Living
São Paulo (Brazil) · Overall index 35.9 — Medellín (Colombia) · Overall index 28.3
Summary
- Overall, Medellín is 21% cheaper than São Paulo.
- Rent in Medellín is 30% cheaper than in São Paulo.
- Utilities & household in Medellín is 21% cheaper than in São Paulo.
| Item | São Paulo | Medellín | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -30% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $966 | $723 | -25% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $665 | $493 | -26% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,186 | $1,419 | -35% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,366 | $898 | -34% |
| Groceries | -19% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.55 | $0.48 | -13% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.73 | $1.41 | -18% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.36 | $2.07 | -12% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.35 | $1.65 | -30% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.12 | $5.47 | -23% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.35 | $5.22 | -18% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $8.01 | $7.93 | -1% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.5 | $1.9 | -24% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.05 | $0.7 | -33% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.99 | $1.57 | -21% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.58 | $2.14 | -17% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.33 | $1.12 | -16% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.38 | $0.96 | -30% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.07 | $0.91 | -15% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.12 | $0.93 | -17% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.84 | $6.22 | -9% |
| Transport | -20% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.91 | $0.76 | -16% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $42.2 | $36.9 | -13% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.64 | $1.15 | -30% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.64 | $0.54 | -16% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.31 | -16% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,655 | $7,832 | -26% |
| Dining out | -20% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.37 | $7.07 | -16% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $48.8 | $36.6 | -25% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4.92 | $3.42 | -30% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $1.79 | -17% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.15 | $0.84 | -27% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.74 | $2.24 | -18% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.05 | $2.76 | -10% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.75 | $0.65 | -13% |
| Telecom | -15% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $33.7 | $28.7 | -15% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $33 | $26.6 | -19% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.16 | -11% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.35 | $6.25 | -15% |
| Utilities & household | -21% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $88.5 | $56.8 | -36% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.09 | -18% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.26 | $1.6 | -29% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.64 | $0.54 | -16% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.7 | $8.16 | -24% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $34 | $29.5 | -13% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.59 | $5.13 | -22% |
| Men's haircut | $13.8 | $12.9 | -7% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.6 | $10.4 | -17% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,022 | $869 | -15% |
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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