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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $651 in Guarapuava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,079 in Guarapuava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,508 in Guarapuava.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than in Guarapuava, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Guarapuava 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.68 R$18.65

60.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$21.24 R$108

55.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$5.77 R$29.28

28.77%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.03 R$10.31

-18.72%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.03 R$5.23

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.63 R$3.22

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.93 R$9.77

-10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.77 R$14.07

14.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.91 R$4.61

20.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.48 R$7.49

-14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.21 R$6.13

14.05%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.51 R$7.67

44.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$8.61 R$43.68

-47.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.46 R$17.54

67.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.65 R$38.83

17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.64 R$8.33

41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.50 R$2.53

112.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.91 R$4.61

67.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.24 R$6.31

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.02 R$5.15

10.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.87 R$4.44

34.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.55 R$2.80

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.67 R$3.39

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.99 R$10.11

12.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$8.03 R$40.76

50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.23 R$6.22

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.75 R$8.90

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.92 R$4.66

-7.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$38.59 R$196

7.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.07 R$5.44

32.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.65 R$3.28

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.29 R$31.92

25.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.99 R$5.05

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$18.8K R$95.3K

-6.30%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$26.9K R$136.4K

-0.34%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$73.3 R$372

13.25%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$8.23 R$41.74

17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$18.72 R$95.0

25.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$24.61 R$125

2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$21.45 R$109

-10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$5.29 R$26.84

-25.33%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$216 R$1,095

46.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$3,291 R$16.7K

81.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$30.15 R$153

99.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$29.17 R$148

9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$71.0 R$360

43.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$34.18 R$173

214.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$211 R$1,072

124.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$145 R$735

158.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$504 R$2,555

68.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$371 R$1,883

93.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,656 R$8,402

97.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$596 R$3,024

141.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$472 R$2,397

32.21%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Guarapuava: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $211 in Guarapuava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 32% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Guarapuava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $163 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 54% 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 32% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $211 in Guarapuava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $216 in Guarapuava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $651 in Guarapuava versus $1,003 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 $651 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 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.