Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarapuava Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guarapuava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $779 in Guarapuava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,242 in Guarapuava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,705 in Guarapuava.

Living in Medellin is roughly 116% more expensive than in Guarapuava, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Guarapuava is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.00 R$25.65

60.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$23.67 R$121

102.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.79 R$34.78

45.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.98 R$10.14

58.08%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.19 R$6.11

60.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.77 R$3.97

96.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.54 R$7.87

102.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.45 R$12.56

134.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.19 R$6.12

21.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.54 R$7.89

61.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.45 R$7.43

22.07%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.64 R$8.39

80.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.50 R$53.8

-4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$3.59 R$18.40

181.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$8.35 R$42.77

71.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.76 R$8.99

135.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.50 R$2.59

222.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$0.80 R$4.12

181.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.32 R$6.77

70.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.09 R$5.56

87.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.05 R$5.36

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.82 R$4.18

42.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.82 R$4.19

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.50 R$12.83

56.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$9.98 R$51.2

40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.15 R$11.04

-19.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.49 R$12.77

15.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.00 R$5.11

22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$42.66 R$219

88.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.10 R$5.66

19.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.04 R$5.35

110.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$2.75 R$14.10

216.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.07 R$5.49

28.04%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$31.6K R$161.8K

-11.84%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$31.9K R$163.5K

12.14%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$82.5 R$423

114.91%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$8.85 R$45.33

56.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$22.30 R$114

33.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$29.12 R$149

54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$15.14 R$77.6

13.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.80 R$29.71

14.66%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$230 R$1,177

253.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$3,689 R$18.9K

149.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$32.48 R$166

175.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$30.52 R$156

93.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$82.7 R$424

67.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$97.5 R$500

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$229 R$1,175

363.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$153 R$786

332.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$554 R$2,841

240.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$417 R$2,136

146.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,589 R$8,144

163.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$581 R$2,980

187.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$489 R$2,508

38.47%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $229 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 38% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $190 per month, with Guarapuava 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 Guarapuava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarapuava wins on cost – living expenses run 116% 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 38% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $229 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $230 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Guarapuava versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guarapuava but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guarapuava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guarapuava delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $779 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guarapuava hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guarapuava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.