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: $1,070 in Cuiaba versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Cuiaba versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,129 in Cuiaba versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Cuiaba costs roughly 35% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuiaba is 22% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 R$25.51

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-38.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.25 R$176

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-29.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 R$39.43

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-18.37%

Cappuccino

$1.75 R$8.96

$2.94 COP 9,040

-40.48%

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

$1.29 R$6.60

$1.86 COP 5,735

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.32

$1.46 COP 4,479

-55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 R$10.10

$3.21 COP 9,882

-38.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.14

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-55.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.90

$1.44 COP 4,428

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.35

$2.40 COP 7,389

-32.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.45

$1.70 COP 5,228

8.24%

Eggs

$3.06 R$15.71

$2.89 COP 8,896

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.14 R$87.9

$10.06 COP 30.9K

70.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 R$23.40

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-54.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 R$56.6

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-22.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$11.98

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-41.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 R$12.01

$1.58 COP 4,878

48.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 R$12.39

$2.15 COP 6,624

12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 R$14.82

$2.30 COP 7,078

25.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 R$12.72

$2.00 COP 6,169

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 R$10.71

$1.51 COP 4,646

38.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 R$7.95

$1.20 COP 3,701

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.41

$1.28 COP 3,946

13.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$11.13

$3.84 COP 11.8K

-43.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 R$56.8

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 R$9.81

$1.71 COP 5,256

11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 R$16.06

$2.74 COP 8,440

14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.26

$1.25 COP 3,834

-17.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.55 R$198

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-50.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.23

$1.36 COP 4,172

-10.29%

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

$30.0K R$153.7K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

9.13%

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

$33.8K R$173.4K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-7.44%

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

$170 R$873

$169 COP 519.2K

0.94%

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

$19.02 R$97.5

$13.57 COP 41.8K

40.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 R$133

$28.32 COP 87.2K

-8.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 R$131

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 R$98.2

$17.22 COP 53.0K

11.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 R$30.61

$6.65 COP 20.5K

-10.23%

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

$421 R$2,160

$803 COP 2.5M

-47.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,268 R$47.5K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 R$389

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-13.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.17 R$252

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-17.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 R$754

$139 COP 427.5K

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 R$356

$102 COP 314.0K

-32.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 R$1,687

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-69.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 R$1,150

$653 COP 2.0M

-65.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 R$3,305

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-66.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 R$1,822

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-66.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,301 R$6,670

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-68.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 R$4,045

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-53.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 R$1,967

$655 COP 2.0M

-41.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.1

10.94

47.17%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Cuiaba and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 71% 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: $34.00 in Cuiaba vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $300 per month, with Cuiaba cheaper across the board.

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 53% 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, salaries run 71% lower in Medellin. 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: $329 in Cuiaba versus $1,071 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 $34.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,070 per month in Cuiaba versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,070 in Cuiaba versus $1,641 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 $1,070 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 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.