Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $827 in Cuiaba versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in Cuiaba versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,674 in Cuiaba versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Cuiaba costs roughly 20% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuiaba 38% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 R$17.87

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.66 R$87.9

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-46.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 R$30.18

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-15.83%

Cappuccino

$1.61 R$8.02

$1.70 COP 6,186

-5.29%

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

$0.98 R$4.86

$1.10 COP 3,996

-10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$0.72 COP 2,625

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 R$6.34

$1.67 COP 6,067

-23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 R$10.50

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-31.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.11

$1.06 COP 3,837

-2.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.53

$1.25 COP 4,531

20.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.30

$1.39 COP 5,060

20.14%

Eggs

$3.23 R$16.11

$2.26 COP 8,229

42.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 R$56.4

$4.33 COP 15.8K

161.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.45

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-26.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 R$49.82

$8.83 COP 32.1K

13.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 R$10.28

$2.24 COP 8,159

-8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$8.42

$1.08 COP 3,911

56.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.71

$1.53 COP 5,563

14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 R$11.78

$1.37 COP 4,987

72.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 R$10.25

$1.13 COP 4,109

82.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.76

$1.12 COP 4,067

39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.65

$0.85 COP 3,080

-14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.16

$0.91 COP 3,305

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 R$10.33

$2.33 COP 8,477

-11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 R$50.3

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 R$8.69

$1.19 COP 4,342

46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R$10.98

$2.37 COP 8,617

-7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 R$4.27

$0.79 COP 2,859

8.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.71 R$193

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.44 COP 5,223

-26.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.78

$1.91 COP 6,952

-60.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.27

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.00

$0.94 COP 3,410

6.38%

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

$21.1K R$105.0K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

17.65%

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

$27.8K R$138.5K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

3.78%

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

$60.8 R$303

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-27.56%

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

$18.22 R$90.8

$9.60 COP 34.9K

89.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.79 R$118

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.74 R$113

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 R$101

$19.04 COP 69.3K

6.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 R$22.34

$3.92 COP 14.2K

14.54%

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

$247 R$1,231

$306 COP 1.1M

-19.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,247 R$26.1K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-11.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 R$249

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.94 R$224

$31.82 COP 115.7K

41.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 R$699

$99.9 COP 363.3K

40.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.1 R$309

$107 COP 389.7K

-42.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 R$1,422

$487 COP 1.8M

-41.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 R$928

$368 COP 1.3M

-49.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 R$2,810

$826 COP 3.0M

-31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 R$1,573

$716 COP 2.6M

-55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,321 R$6,581

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-54.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$811 R$4,039

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-42.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$428 R$2,130

$546 COP 2.0M

-21.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

13.43

37.75%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Cuiaba and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Cuiaba vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cuiaba vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $286 in Cuiaba versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $827 per month in Cuiaba versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $827 in Cuiaba versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $827 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.