Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Curepipe

For one person, living is cheaper in Curepipe: $998 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Curepipe
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Curepipe Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Curepipe

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Curepipe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $998 in Curepipe.

Medellin $1,639
Curepipe $998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,564 in Curepipe.

Medellin $2,413
Curepipe $1,564

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,129 in Curepipe.

Medellin $3,186
Curepipe $2,129

Living in Medellin is roughly 64% more expensive than in Curepipe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Curepipe is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.15 MUR 147

156.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$38.01 MUR 1,771

23.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.21 MUR 243

82.34%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.68 MUR 125

12.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.06 MUR 49.29

69.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.67 MUR 31.40

110.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.72 MUR 80.0

84.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.72 MUR 127

111.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.60 MUR 74.5

-5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$0.74 MUR 34.51

221.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.10 MUR 51.2

60.91%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.35 MUR 109

22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.33 MUR 249

91.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.39 MUR 251

83.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.36 MUR 436

49.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.03 MUR 94.5

95.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.01 MUR 93.6

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.45 MUR 67.7

50.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$2.88 MUR 134

-24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.02 MUR 47.50

92.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$0.99 MUR 46.28

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$0.70 MUR 32.54

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.65 MUR 30.43

90.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.35 MUR 296

-37.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$3.83 MUR 179

257.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.70 MUR 79.4

-2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.38 MUR 111

-5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.71 MUR 33.07

64.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$42.16 MUR 1,964

83.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$4.37 MUR 204

-70.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$3.26 MUR 152

-37.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.16 MUR 194

105.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.37 MUR 63.8

-1.46%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$29.8K MUR 1.4M

14.31%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$31.2K MUR 1.5M

11.05%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$41.93 MUR 1,953

304.60%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$21.49 MUR 1,001

-36.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.40 MUR 1,369

-4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$14.95 MUR 696

192.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.21 MUR 243

32.63%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$127 MUR 5,912

527.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,551 MUR 351.8K

20.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$43.78 MUR 2,039

93.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$32.14 MUR 1,497

80.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$93.6 MUR 4,361

44.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$53.6 MUR 2,497

82.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$593 MUR 27.6K

103.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$433 MUR 20.2K

48.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,202 MUR 56.0K

68.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$795 MUR 37.0K

27.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$743 MUR 34.6K

461.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$646 MUR 30.1K

195.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$894 MUR 41.6K

-26.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Curepipe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Curepipe

$433 43.4% 32.6% $209

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Curepipe

$187 18.8% 36.9% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Curepipe

$93 9.3% 56.1% $118

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Curepipe

$94 9.4% 44.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Curepipe

$100 10.1% 40.6% $69

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Curepipe

$66 6.6% 29.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Curepipe

$25 2.5% 55.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $593 in Curepipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curepipe pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $38 in Curepipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $187 per month, with Curepipe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇺 Curepipe

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

02:25 2:25 AM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

81,600

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 MUR = 2.15 USD

100 MUR = 1.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Curepipe 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Curepipe

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

Medellin vs Curepipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curepipe is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $593 in Curepipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curepipe runs roughly 46% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $127 in Curepipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Curepipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.