Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarapuava

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarapuava: $742 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Guarapuava
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Guarapuava Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Guarapuava

🇧🇷 Brazil

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guarapuava

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 Guarapuava actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $742 in Guarapuava.

Medellin $1,692
Guarapuava $742

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,202 in Guarapuava.

Medellin $2,471
Guarapuava $1,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,662 in Guarapuava.

Medellin $3,249
Guarapuava $1,662

Living in Medellin is roughly 128% more expensive than in Guarapuava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Guarapuava is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$4.63 R$25.28

80.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$22.39 R$122

107.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$6.39 R$34.89

48.20%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.90 R$10.36

64.74%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$1.17 R$6.40

51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.74 R$4.06

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.53 R$8.34

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.35 R$12.83

142.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.09 R$5.94

40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.24 R$6.80

84.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$1.16 R$6.34

67.24%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$1.63 R$8.88

88.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$7.25 R$39.59

37.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.56 R$19.44

193.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$8.13 R$44.40

71.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.68 R$9.17

141.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$0.52 R$2.85

194.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$0.88 R$4.81

138.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$1.26 R$6.89

81.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$1.08 R$5.87

95.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$1.00 R$5.45

71.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$0.77 R$4.22

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$0.75 R$4.11

110.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.44 R$13.31

60.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$9.52 R$52.0

47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$2.00 R$10.91

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$2.27 R$12.37

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$0.96 R$5.24

22.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

$42.04 R$230

81.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$1.05 R$5.72

72.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$1.05 R$5.72

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$2.53 R$13.84

221.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$0.99 R$5.41

29.29%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$29.3K R$160.1K

17.49%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$30.7K R$167.9K

11.02%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$80.5 R$439

120.84%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$8.17 R$44.62

70.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$21.66 R$118

41.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$27.77 R$152

51.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$14.15 R$77.3

18.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.47 R$29.86

36.56%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$198 R$1,079

300.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$3,506 R$19.1K

250.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$31.05 R$170

178.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$30.24 R$165

95.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$111 R$604

25.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$93.6 R$511

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$219 R$1,194

513.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$152 R$828

340.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$526 R$2,874

275.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$394 R$2,150

162.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,593 R$8,701

157.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$552 R$3,012

251.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$457 R$2,497

41.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.5

4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Guarapuava

$152 20.4% 77.3% $516

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Guarapuava

$171 23% 44.5% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Guarapuava

$110 14.9% 50.4% $112

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Guarapuava

$99 13.3% 42.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Guarapuava

$119 16.1% 30.6% $53

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Guarapuava

$52 7% 44.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Guarapuava

$39 5.2% 32% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $219 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 41% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $22 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $171 per month, with Guarapuava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Guarapuava

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

11:54 11:54 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

182,093

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Guarapuava 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Guarapuava

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 Guarapuava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarapuava wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Guarapuava the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $219 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $198 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Guarapuava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.