Medellín vs Florianópolis
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Florianópolis cheaper — −30%
Family groceries
✓in Medellín cheaper — −40%
Internet
✓in Florianópolis cheaper — −24%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per monthMedellín≈ $939–2,090COP 3.1–6.9M✓Florianópolis≈ $864–1,270R$4,500–6,621cheaper by 30%Piped gas
✓Medellín≈ $1.08 per m³COP 3,559.88 per m³cheaper by 21%Florianópolis≈ $1.37 per m³R$7.14 per m³Family groceries
per month✓Medellín≈ $292COP 962,912cheaper by 40%Florianópolis≈ $490R$2,553Internet
per monthMedellín≈ $23–27COP 75,900–90,321✓Florianópolis≈ $15–23R$79.9–119.8cheaper by 24%Private school
per monthMedellín≈ $1,300COP 4,298,719✓Florianópolis≈ $296–581R$1,544–3,033cheaper by 66%Winter
averageMedellín17–27 °C17–27 °CFlorianópolis13–20 °C13–20 °CPrecipitation
per yearMedellín1,673 mm1,673 mmFlorianópolis1,544 mm1,544 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Medellín≈ $164–279kCOP 540–920Mcheaper by 53%Florianópolis≈ $288–653kR$1.5–3.4M
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Medellín
A housing stratum from 1 to 6 appears in the listing and in the tariffs. In 5–6 electricity is 20% more expensive than in 4, water 1.5–1.6 times. A three-bedroom in stratum 4 is about 3.3 million pesos, in 6 - 8 million.
OfficialEPM: electricity rates, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
According to the IBGE estimate, Florianópolis has 598 thousand residents in 2026, almost 11 thousand more in a year. The 2022 census counted 537 thousand.
OfficialIBGE: Florianópolis population estimate, 2024-2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Housing
Medellín
Three-bedroom apartment: Belén and Sabaneta 3.1–3.3 million pesos a month, Laureles and Envigado 4.5 million, El Poblado 6.9 million. Listing medians.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in El Poblado · checked 29 Sep 2026
Three-bedroom resale: Sabaneta about 540 million pesos, Laureles 725 million, El Poblado 873 million, Envigado 920 million. These are listing prices, not transaction prices.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in El Poblado · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
By listings, a two-room apartment in Centro is about 4,500 reais a month, in Lagoa 4,500, in Itacorubi 5,700, in Campeche 6,600. The building fee (condomínio) and tax are on top.
SpecialistQuintoAndar: apartments for rent with two or more bedrooms, Centro · checked 29 Sep 2026
61.19 reais per m² a month in August 2026, fifth place among 22 capitals. Most expensive are Agronômica and Centro, cheaper are Ingleses and Capoeiras.
SpecialistFipeZAP Index: residential rent, August 2026 report, Florianópolis page · checked 29 Sep 2026
An apartment averages 13,531 reais per m² (August 2026), a two-room apartment 12,993. That is more than São Paulo; prices rose 8.2% over the year.
SpecialistFipeZAP Index: historical series of sale and rent prices by city, Florianópolis sheet · checked 29 Sep 2026
A house in Campeche by listings is 1.5–3.4 million reais (nine out of ten), one for 6.4 million. In total the results include 341 listings with three or more bedrooms.
SpecialistQuintoAndar: homes for sale with three or more bedrooms, Campeche · checked 29 Sep 2026
Money and prices
Medellín
The DANE minimum food basket for Medellín is 240,728 pesos per person per month, about 963k for a family of four. Figures for 2025.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 29 Sep 2026
A family of four in Medellín is considered poor with an income below 2.4 million pesos a month, about $730 (2025). The average income is 1.93 million per person.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
DIEESE's basic basket in August 2026 is 850.90 reais per adult. For a family of two adults and two children, about 2,550 a month.
SpecialistDIEESE: national basic food basket survey, August 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
DIEESE calculates that a family of four needed 7,566 reais a month in August 2026. The figure is one for the whole country and already includes housing; it does not reflect Florianópolis rents.
SpecialistDIEESE: nominal and necessary minimum wage by month · checked 29 Sep 2026
Family and kids
Medellín
The international The Columbus School in Envigado for 2026–27: 4.3 million pesos a month from August to May plus a 4.8 million fee in June. This is the upper bound.
SpecialistThe Columbus School: fees for the 2026-27 school year · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
In 2025, 150 schools with primary and secondary grades; more than half of the schools with younger grades are private. 37.5% of schoolchildren attend private schools.
OfficialIBGE Cidades based on INEP school census data: schools, students and teachers in Florianópolis, 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Three well-known schools in the city (Energia, Catarinense, Bom Jesus): 1,544–3,033 reais a month according to Procon for 2023. Today it is more.
OfficialProcon Santa Catarina: survey of monthly school fees, 2023 (Florianópolis, São José, Palhoça, Biguaçu) · checked 30 Sep 2026
Healthcare
Medellín
In the Newsweek 2026 ranking for Colombia, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe is 3rd, San Vicente Fundación 8th, and six more clinics of the metropolitan area are in the top 45. The ranking is commercial.
SpecialistNewsweek and Statista: World’s Best Hospitals 2026, Colombia · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
Public: the Carmela Dutra maternity hospital in Centro and the university hospital in Trindade with a neonatal intensive care unit. A private option is Ilha Hospital in Pantanal.
OfficialBrazil's Ministry of Health, open data "Hospitals and Beds": entry for Maternidade Carmela Dutra · checked 29 Sep 2026
Transport
Medellín
A ride on the metro, tram, cable car or Metroplús with a personalized Cívica card costs 3,820 pesos, 4,400 with an anonymous card, 1,600 for students.
OfficialMetro de Medellín: fares by Cívica card profile · checked 29 Sep 2026
The main airport, José María Córdova, is in Rionegro, about 35 km from the city. In 2025 it handled 14.6 million passengers, 4.2 million of them international.
SpecialistLadevi: José María Córdova airport, passenger record in 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
A trip paid in cash or by QR is 7.70 reais, with a resident card 6.20, with a tourist card 7.20. The express bus is 20 reais.
SpecialistConsórcio Fênix, city bus operator: fares and FAQ · checked 29 Sep 2026
Climate
Medellín
No winter: the average monthly temperature is 21–22.5 degrees all year round. Coolest in October: on average from 16.6 at night to 26.8 during the day.
OfficialIDEAM: climate table, Olaya Herrera airport (Medellín) · checked 29 Sep 2026
About 1,670 mm a year and 224 days with rain. Two wet seasons, April–May and September–November; driest in December–February.
OfficialIDEAM: climate table, Olaya Herrera airport (Medellín) · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
July is the coolest month: on average from 13.3°C at night to 20.4°C by day. No frost, but not beach weather either, and it rains 9 days a month.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Florianópolis · checked 29 Sep 2026
February is the warmest month: on average from 21.8°C at night to 28.4°C by day. It is also the rainiest month, almost 200 mm.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Florianópolis · checked 29 Sep 2026
About 1,540 mm a year and 144 days with rain. It pours most in summer, from January to March, and is driest in June.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Florianópolis · checked 29 Sep 2026
Safety
Medellín
In 2025 there were 326 murders, about 13 per 100k residents; for the country in 2024 it was 25.4. In El Poblado and Laureles there are few murders, the most are in the center.
SpecialistQue Pasa Medallo: homicides in Medellín in 2025 according to SISC · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
25 homicides in 2025 against 31 in 2024. For 587 thousand residents that is about 4 per 100 thousand.
OfficialSSP-SC: monthly indicators bulletin, December 2025, homicides by municipality · checked 29 Sep 2026
Internet and phone
Medellín
Tigo gives 500 Mbit/s for 75,900 pesos a month in strata 1–3 and for 90,321 in strata 4–6, VAT included. On the cable network the upload is only 15 Mbit/s.
SpecialistTigo: terms of the Full Tigo package for Medellín and the metropolitan area, January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
Fiber of 350–1000 Mbps costs about 80–120 reais a month: Claro 600 Mbps, 99.90; Vivo 700, 100.00. The average measured speed in the city is 202 Mbps.
SpecialistMinha Conexão: internet in Florianópolis, provider ranking and cheapest plans · checked 1 Oct 2026
Services
Medellín
Electricity for 200 kWh and water for 15 m³ at EPM tariffs: stratum 4 about 342k pesos a month, strata 5–6 - 455–470k, stratum 3 - 306k. Gas and garbage are extra.
OfficialEPM: electricity rates, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
EPM network gas in strata 3–4: 3,560 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 4,390 a month. For 30 m³ it comes to about 111k pesos ($34). In stratum 6 the price is 4,272 per m³.
OfficialEPM: piped gas tariffs, Valle de Aburrá, September 2026 consumption (October bills) · checked 29 Sep 2026
EPM electricity for 300 kWh a month: stratum 4 about 288k pesos ($87), stratum 6 about 345k, stratum 3 about 269k. September 2026 tariff, excluding fees.
OfficialEPM: electricity tariffs, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Florianópolis
Water is supplied by CASAN. On 2–3 September 2026, because of a burst water main, 28 districts, including Centro and Trindade, were left without normal supply.
OfficialARESC, state regulator: notice of a water main break in Florianópolis, 3 September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026
CASAN water: 29.49 reais a month fixed plus 1.96 / 9.11 / 12.18 / 15.32 per m³ by band. At 15 m³ water is 94.64, with sewage 189.28 reais.
OfficialARESC: CASAN water and sewerage bill calculation file (residential tariff) · checked 30 Sep 2026
CELESC from 22 August 2026: 0.760 reais per kWh before taxes. For 300 kWh this is 227.93 reais before taxes, about 299 with taxes by the calculator site's estimate.
SpecialistEnergy calculator: CELESC tariff for a home from 22 August 2026 (based on ANEEL data) · checked 30 Sep 2026
The SCGás network in the center is only being built (since 16 July 2026); tariff 7.14 reais per m³. A 13 kg cylinder averages 127 reais according to ANP (6 points).
OfficialSCGás: residential gas tariff from 1 July 2026, single tier · checked 30 Sep 2026

