Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Curitiba versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Curitiba versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,878 in Curitiba versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Curitiba costs roughly 18% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 R$27.82

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-11.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.78 R$162

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.25 R$31.81

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-14.85%

Cappuccino

$2.02 R$10.31

$1.72 COP 5,599

17.44%

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

$1.08 R$5.50

$1.05 COP 3,420

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.44

$0.77 COP 2,515

-11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.19

$1.69 COP 5,487

30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.25

$3.17 COP 10.3K

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.67

$1.05 COP 3,423

-12.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.17

$1.30 COP 4,236

8.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.07

$1.40 COP 4,544

-15.00%

Eggs

$2.12 R$10.77

$2.16 COP 7,046

-1.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R$41.88

$4.39 COP 14.3K

87.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 R$19.25

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-35.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 R$38.96

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-11.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.52

$2.28 COP 7,425

-9.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.11 COP 3,603

-13.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.93

$1.53 COP 4,982

-36.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.13

$1.35 COP 4,410

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.16

$1.13 COP 3,674

-10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.76

$1.13 COP 3,692

-17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 R$3.09

$0.85 COP 2,753

-28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.36

$0.91 COP 2,975

-27.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 R$11.14

$2.34 COP 7,629

-6.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 R$38.99

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-38.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.96

$1.20 COP 3,909

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.53

$2.49 COP 8,104

-8.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.36

$0.84 COP 2,727

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.01 R$239

$40.57 COP 132.1K

15.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.42 COP 4,623

-22.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.63

$1.92 COP 6,235

-63.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 R$32.61

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-16.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.93

$0.99 COP 3,223

18.18%

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

$18.4K R$93.9K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

2.30%

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

$26.2K R$133.6K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-1.43%

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

$72.7 R$370

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-10.06%

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

$11.43 R$58.2

$9.95 COP 32.4K

14.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.22 R$108

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.04 R$133

$25.08 COP 81.6K

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.67 R$84.9

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 R$33.01

$3.98 COP 13.0K

62.81%

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

$286 R$1,454

$305 COP 993.4K

-6.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 R$32.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

6.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R$278

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-6.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 R$229

$32.20 COP 104.8K

39.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 R$418

$101 COP 327.9K

-18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 R$352

$108 COP 350.8K

-35.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 R$1,826

$477 COP 1.6M

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 R$1,259

$376 COP 1.2M

-34.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,414

$845 COP 2.7M

-20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,514

$730 COP 2.4M

-32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,373 R$12.1K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-26.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,736 R$8,837

$1,372 COP 4.5M

26.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 R$3,252

$617 COP 2.0M

3.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-18.09%

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

Last update for Curitiba: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Curitiba and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Curitiba vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $193 per month, with Curitiba 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

Curitiba vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Curitiba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Curitiba versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curitiba runs roughly 16% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Curitiba versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $842 in Curitiba versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $842 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.