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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $787 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,238 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,689 in Dourados.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than Dourados, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Dourados 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$5.27 R$26.17

12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$27.12 R$135

22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.28 R$31.19

15.45%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.79 R$8.91

-4.47%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.08 R$5.36

0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.66 R$3.29

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.85 R$9.19

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.72 R$13.53

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.01 R$5.04

4.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.52 R$7.56

-14.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.13 R$5.63

22.12%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.94 R$9.62

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$8.06 R$40.07

-43.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$3.58 R$17.78

62.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$7.21 R$35.82

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.15 R$10.68

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.25 R$6.19

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.19 R$5.91

26.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.46 R$7.26

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.19 R$5.93

-2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.11 R$5.49

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.74 R$3.66

12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.61 R$3.03

39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.15 R$10.69

9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$7.27 R$36.12

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.27 R$6.30

-9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.04 R$10.15

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.86 R$4.30

-8.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$38.33 R$191

9.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.11 R$5.53

29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.71 R$3.52

167.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$6.45 R$32.04

19.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.04 R$5.15

-0.96%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.0K R$104.6K

-15.97%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$27.3K R$135.8K

-1.15%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$60.8 R$302

33.85%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$13.46 R$66.9

-30.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$18.56 R$92.3

28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$22.12 R$110

16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$21.96 R$109

-11.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.12 R$30.44

-33.82%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$272 R$1,353

14.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,463 R$32.1K

-6.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$49.84 R$248

18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$42.84 R$213

-23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$75.9 R$377

32.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$65.6 R$326

62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$311 R$1,544

57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$215 R$1,068

72.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 R$2,937

41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$431 R$2,145

65.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,873 R$9,309

57.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,220 R$6,062

14.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Dourados: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $311 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $27 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 31% 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 $1,544 in Medellin and $1,181 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: $490 in Medellin versus $311 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $787 in Dourados versus $1,030 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 $787 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 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.