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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $815 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,252 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,690 in Cuiaba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 26% more expensive than in Cuiaba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cuiaba 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.58 R$18.46

67.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$18.23 R$94.1

80.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$6.30 R$32.53

17.78%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.63 R$8.39

1.23%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.92 R$4.77

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.61 R$3.13

24.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.29 R$6.66

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.12 R$10.96

50.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.01 R$5.21

3.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.53 R$7.91

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.64 R$8.45

-18.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$3.13 R$16.15

-30.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$11.53 R$59.5

-61.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$4.29 R$22.12

32.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$10.17 R$52.5

-16.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$2.06 R$10.63

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.77 R$9.15

-37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.74 R$8.96

-12.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$2.26 R$11.68

-39.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$2.01 R$10.35

-42.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.55 R$8.01

-23.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.74 R$3.81

13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$1.22 R$6.29

-29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$2.18 R$11.25

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$9.77 R$50.4

18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.75 R$9.01

-31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.25 R$11.61

10.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.89 R$4.58

-11.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$38.12 R$197

7.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.11 R$5.71

32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.75 R$3.86

156.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$6.57 R$33.90

18.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.06 R$5.45

-4.72%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$21.1K R$108.8K

-16.23%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$27.9K R$144.2K

-5.32%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$60.6 R$313

33.76%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$18.84 R$97.2

-49.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$22.99 R$119

3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$22.80 R$118

13.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$19.53 R$101

-4.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$4.46 R$23.04

-8.30%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$244 R$1,257

29.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$5,196 R$26.8K

15.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$51.7 R$267

15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$45.86 R$237

-30.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$138 R$712

-26.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$63.0 R$325

66.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$288 R$1,485

68.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$188 R$969

94.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$566 R$2,922

46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$307 R$1,584

137.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,258 R$6,495

137.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$801 R$4,136

63.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$430 R$2,219

28.08%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $288 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 26% 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.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Medellin, 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: $485 in Medellin versus $288 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 $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $815 in Cuiaba – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $815 in Cuiaba versus $1,028 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 $815 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 26% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.