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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than Cuiaba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.59 R$17.90

64.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$17.66 R$88.1

85.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.06 R$30.24

18.81%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.61 R$8.03

5.59%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.98 R$4.87

12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.66 R$3.30

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.27 R$6.35

31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.11 R$10.53

46.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.03 R$5.12

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.51 R$7.54

-17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.67 R$8.31

-16.77%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$3.23 R$16.14

-30.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$11.33 R$56.5

-61.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.31 R$21.50

35.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.00 R$49.92

-11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.06 R$10.30

8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.69 R$8.44

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.75 R$8.73

-12.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.37 R$11.80

-42.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.06 R$10.27

-45.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.56 R$7.77

-28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.73 R$3.65

16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.24 R$6.18

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.07 R$10.35

12.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$10.11 R$50.4

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.74 R$8.71

-31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.20 R$11.00

7.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.86 R$4.27

-8.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$38.71 R$193

6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.06 R$5.30

35.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.76 R$3.79

151.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.28 R$31.33

27.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.00 R$5.01

-6.00%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$21.1K R$105.2K

-15.00%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.8K R$138.7K

-3.64%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$60.8 R$303

38.05%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$18.22 R$90.9

-47.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$23.79 R$119

1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.74 R$114

13.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$20.21 R$101

-5.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.49 R$22.38

-12.69%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$247 R$1,234

23.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,247 R$26.2K

12.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$50.0 R$250

15.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$44.94 R$224

-29.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$140 R$700

-28.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$62.1 R$310

72.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$286 R$1,425

70.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$186 R$930

97.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$564 R$2,816

46.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$316 R$1,576

126.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,321 R$6,594

121.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$811 R$4,047

73.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$428 R$2,135

27.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

18.5

-27.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $286 in Cuiaba. 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Cuiaba. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $230, 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

Medellin vs Cuiaba: 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.

Medellin 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: $487 in Medellin versus $286 in Cuiaba. 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 $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $827 in Cuiaba – 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.