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: $848 in Curitiba versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Curitiba versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Curitiba costs roughly 16% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$27.11

$5.99 COP 21.3K

-10.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 R$163

$32.86 COP 116.9K

-1.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.19

$7.09 COP 25.2K

-13.12%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.47

$1.71 COP 6,093

21.05%

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

$1.13 R$5.70

$1.10 COP 3,910

2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.78 COP 2,771

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.23

$1.68 COP 5,976

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.74

$3.07 COP 10.9K

7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.91

$1.09 COP 3,892

-11.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.49

$1.26 COP 4,492

17.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$1.38 COP 4,905

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.40

$2.19 COP 7,799

-6.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$41.25

$4.40 COP 15.7K

85.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.03

$5.63 COP 20.0K

-33.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$38.16

$8.89 COP 31.6K

-15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.80

$2.34 COP 8,319

-8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.72

$1.06 COP 3,764

-12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.50 COP 5,355

-36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$1.38 COP 4,906

-12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$1.15 COP 4,097

-9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.16 COP 4,141

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$3.01

$0.89 COP 3,170

-33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.34

$0.84 COP 2,986

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.67

$2.28 COP 8,116

-7.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.13

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.99

$1.20 COP 4,268

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.90

$2.47 COP 8,793

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.40

$0.86 COP 3,045

24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.33 R$240

$41.40 COP 147.3K

14.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.47 COP 5,245

-25.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.50

$1.96 COP 6,984

-64.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$32.31

$7.74 COP 27.5K

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.20

$0.95 COP 3,397

28.42%

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

$18.7K R$94.8K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

3.28%

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

$26.2K R$132.7K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-1.06%

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

$72.4 R$366

$82.3 COP 292.7K

-12.04%

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

$11.52 R$58.3

$9.50 COP 33.8K

21.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$108

$24.23 COP 86.2K

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 R$128

$25.89 COP 92.1K

-2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 R$84.1

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-12.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.54

$3.93 COP 14.0K

63.61%

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

$286 R$1,446

$309 COP 1.1M

-7.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,389 R$32.4K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

7.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$274

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 R$226

$32.35 COP 115.1K

37.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 R$420

$103 COP 365.1K

-19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$347

$108 COP 385.8K

-36.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,794

$476 COP 1.7M

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,247

$379 COP 1.3M

-34.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R$3,415

$838 COP 3.0M

-19.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 R$2,506

$724 COP 2.6M

-31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 R$11.9K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-15.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 R$8,717

$1,211 COP 4.3M

42.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 R$3,321

$512 COP 1.8M

28.16%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Curitiba and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 28% 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 $188 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 19% 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.

Curitiba pays 28% more on average, 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: $354 in Curitiba versus $476 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 14% 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 $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Curitiba versus $1,013 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 $848 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 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.