Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Curitiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Curitiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $848 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,333 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,818 in Curitiba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 19% more expensive than Curitiba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Curitiba 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$5.35 R$27.11

11.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$32.23 R$163

1.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$6.16 R$31.19

15.10%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$2.07 R$10.47

-17.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$1.13 R$5.70

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.69 R$3.49

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$2.22 R$11.23

-24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.31 R$16.74

-7.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$0.97 R$4.91

12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.48 R$7.49

-14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.14 R$5.80

21.05%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.05 R$10.40

6.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.15 R$41.25

-46.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.76 R$19.03

49.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$7.54 R$38.16

17.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$2.13 R$10.80

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$0.93 R$4.72

13.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$0.96 R$4.87

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.21 R$6.12

14.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.04 R$5.24

10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.87 R$4.42

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.59 R$3.01

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.66 R$3.34

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$2.11 R$10.67

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$7.92 R$40.13

34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.18 R$5.99

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$2.15 R$10.90

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$1.07 R$5.40

-19.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$47.33 R$240

-12.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.10 R$5.58

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.69 R$3.50

184.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$6.38 R$32.31

21.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.22 R$6.20

-22.13%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$18.7K R$94.8K

-3.18%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$26.2K R$132.7K

1.07%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$72.4 R$366

13.68%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$11.52 R$58.3

-17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$21.29 R$108

13.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$25.34 R$128

2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$16.61 R$84.1

14.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.43 R$32.54

-38.88%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$286 R$1,446

8.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$6,389 R$32.4K

-6.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$54.2 R$274

8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$44.55 R$226

-27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$82.9 R$420

23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$68.5 R$347

58.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$354 R$1,794

34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$246 R$1,247

53.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$674 R$3,415

24.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$495 R$2,506

46.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,354 R$11.9K

18.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,721 R$8,717

-29.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$656 R$3,321

-21.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

22.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $354 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Curitiba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $170 per month, with Curitiba 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 Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Curitiba earns 28% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $354 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curitiba runs roughly 14% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $286 in Curitiba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Curitiba versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.