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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $988 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,445 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,903 in Cuiaba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 71% more expensive than in Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cuiaba is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.1K

$4.86 R$25.18

62.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 135.8K

$23.50 R$122

89.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.3K

$7.36 R$38.14

26.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,828

$1.69 R$8.76

71.60%

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

$1.81 COP 5,512

$1.12 R$5.79

61.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,716

$0.63 R$3.27

146.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,911

$1.75 R$9.09

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 17.9K

$2.54 R$13.14

131.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,208

$1.17 R$6.08

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,478

$1.56 R$8.06

57.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,593

$1.63 R$8.42

-7.36%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,472

$3.06 R$15.84

-9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.6K

$14.08 R$72.9

-35.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.5K

$3.87 R$20.03

175.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.6K

$7.40 R$38.34

97.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.1K

$2.26 R$11.69

75.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,198

$2.29 R$11.86

-39.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,019

$2.31 R$11.96

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,153

$2.53 R$13.11

-20.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,357

$2.18 R$11.30

-4.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,971

$2.11 R$10.95

-22.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,295

$1.77 R$9.18

-38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,823

$1.26 R$6.52

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.3K

$2.22 R$11.52

81.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.1K

$9.49 R$49.15

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,879

$1.91 R$9.88

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,141

$2.72 R$14.07

10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,593

$0.93 R$4.80

26.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 243.7K

$36.78 R$190

117.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,895

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,500

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,121

$1.23 R$6.39

9.76%

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

$28.3K COP 86.3M

$29.4K R$152.1K

-3.58%

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

$35.7K COP 108.8M

$32.2K R$166.9K

10.78%

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

$151 COP 461.4K

$152 R$787

-0.44%

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

$13.10 COP 39.9K

$18.48 R$95.7

-29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 98.4K

$25.92 R$134

24.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.2K

$24.93 R$129

85.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.6K

$20.71 R$107

-16.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.6K

$5.77 R$29.90

11.44%

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

$835 COP 2.5M

$418 R$2,163

99.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.1M

$6,723 R$34.8K

32.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 272.3K

$64.3 R$333

38.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 168.6K

$50.4 R$261

9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 416.3K

$126 R$650

8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 333.4K

$58.4 R$302

87.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$327 R$1,696

190.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$224 R$1,158

198.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$627 R$3,246

222.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$355 R$1,839

223.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,237 R$6,406

198.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.8M

$763 R$3,951

107.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$418 R$2,164

49.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

15.07

-30.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $327 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 50% 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: $45.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $244 per month, with Cuiaba 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

Medellin vs Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 71% 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 50% 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: $952 in Medellin versus $327 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 $23.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $988 in Cuiaba – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $988 in Cuiaba versus $1,687 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 $988 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 71% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.