Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foz do Iguaçu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu: $836 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Foz do Iguaçu
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Foz do Iguaçu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Foz do Iguaçu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$836

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Foz do Iguaçu and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Foz do Iguaçu and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $836 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Foz do Iguaçu $836
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,278 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Foz do Iguaçu $1,278
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Foz do Iguaçu $1,720
Medellin $3,186

Foz do Iguaçu is about 49% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Foz do Iguaçu sits 39% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.44 R$29.30

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-32.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.57 R$202

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-20.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 R$34.34

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-32.84%

Cappuccino

$1.76 R$9.47

$3.01 COP 9,735

-41.53%

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

$1.27 R$6.86

$1.80 COP 5,809

-29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 R$2.95

$1.41 COP 4,561

-60.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 R$7.89

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 R$15.44

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-50.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R$4.80

$1.51 COP 4,876

-41.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 R$7.15

$2.38 COP 7,678

-44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.58

$1.77 COP 5,720

-10.17%

Eggs

$2.55 R$13.73

$2.89 COP 9,333

-11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 R$41.36

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-24.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 R$19.70

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-62.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 R$43.31

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.77

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-49.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.14

$1.55 COP 5,012

-26.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.92

$2.18 COP 7,048

-58.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.11

$2.18 COP 7,051

-47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 R$5.16

$1.96 COP 6,337

-51.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.40

$1.59 COP 5,132

-37.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$4.13

$1.15 COP 3,699

-33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.08

$1.24 COP 4,014

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R$14.71

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.38 R$39.73

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 R$9.13

$1.66 COP 5,359

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 R$14.30

$2.26 COP 7,291

17.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$5.17

$1.17 COP 3,771

-17.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.90 R$263

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-36.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 R$5.16

$1.27 COP 4,094

-24.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 R$7.11

$2.05 COP 6,612

-35.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.17

$1.35 COP 4,349

-14.81%

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

$18.8K R$101.0K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-44.92%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$65.4 R$352

$170 COP 547.8K

-61.47%

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

$17.93 R$96.5

$13.55 COP 43.8K

32.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.59 R$100

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-33.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.25 R$98.2

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-58.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 R$30.19

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-67.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 R$44.88

$6.91 COP 22.3K

20.69%

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

$223 R$1,202

$797 COP 2.6M

-71.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.85 R$231

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-49.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.86 R$90.8

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-70.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.23 R$249

$135 COP 435.8K

-65.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.41 R$196

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-62.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 R$1,870

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-71.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 R$1,585

$642 COP 2.1M

-54.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 R$3,580

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,500

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-54.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,190 R$6,406

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-71.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$863 R$4,643

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-54.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$367 R$1,976

$657 COP 2.1M

-44.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.16

10.94

-25.41%

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

Last update for Foz do Iguaçu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Foz do Iguaçu

$295 35.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 118% $347

Groceries & Markets

Foz do Iguaçu

$176 21.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 68.7% $121

Eating Out

Foz do Iguaçu

$104 12.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 62.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foz do Iguaçu

$102 12.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 107% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Foz do Iguaçu

$64 7.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 164% $105

Getting Around

Foz do Iguaçu

$60 7.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 55.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Foz do Iguaçu

$35 4.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 64.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Foz do Iguaçu versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Foz do Iguaçu versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $297 – making Foz do Iguaçu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

2 h behind Foz do Iguaçu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,415

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Foz do Iguaçu Medellin 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Foz do Iguaçu
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Foz do Iguaçu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $836 in Foz do Iguaçu, $1,639 in Medellin – Foz do Iguaçu comes out roughly 49% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,254 per month in Foz do Iguaçu and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $223 per month in Foz do Iguaçu and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Foz do Iguaçu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Foz do Iguaçu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.