Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dourados Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dourados

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,018 in Medellin versus $783 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,235 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,687 in Dourados.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than in Dourados, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Dourados 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$5.55 R$28.16

6.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.5K

$27.36 R$139

21.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$6.13 R$31.13

16.15%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,484

$1.74 R$8.86

-1.72%

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

$1.05 COP 3,373

$1.08 R$5.49

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,323

$0.66 R$3.33

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,529

$1.85 R$9.41

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.66 R$13.51

19.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,425

$1.00 R$5.08

6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,213

$1.49 R$7.57

-12.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,277

$1.18 R$6.01

12.71%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,334

$1.96 R$9.96

16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$8.19 R$41.55

-46.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$3.63 R$18.42

63.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$7.09 R$35.98

21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,541

$2.07 R$10.49

13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,544

$1.26 R$6.41

-12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,721

$1.20 R$6.11

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,437

$1.47 R$7.44

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,772

$1.14 R$5.79

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,763

$1.10 R$5.59

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,904

$0.69 R$3.51

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,707

$0.65 R$3.32

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,486

$2.16 R$10.98

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$7.35 R$37.31

62.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,692

$1.22 R$6.19

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,787

$2.07 R$10.51

16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,700

$0.87 R$4.41

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.3K

$37.78 R$192

8.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,539

$1.11 R$5.62

27.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,157

$0.71 R$3.60

169.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$6.54 R$33.19

19.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,035

$1.08 R$5.47

-12.96%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$21.0K R$106.5K

-15.11%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$27.7K R$140.5K

-2.15%

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

$83.3 COP 267.8K

$59.9 R$304

39.09%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$13.75 R$69.8

-29.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$18.68 R$94.8

29.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$22.32 R$113

12.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

$21.83 R$111

-11.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$6.18 R$31.36

-34.14%

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

$307 COP 986.0K

$271 R$1,374

13.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$6,463 R$32.8K

-7.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.8K

$49.24 R$250

21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.0K

$41.89 R$213

-22.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.1K

$75.2 R$382

34.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.5K

$64.9 R$330

66.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$315 R$1,598

51.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$219 R$1,114

72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$573 R$2,909

42.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$433 R$2,196

63.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$1,686 R$8,559

89.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$1,074 R$5,449

34.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Dourados: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $315 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $173 per month, with Dourados 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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,527 in Medellin and $1,175 in Dourados to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $315 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Dourados versus $1,018 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $783 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.