Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maringa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maringa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $818 in Maringa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,265 in Maringa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,712 in Maringa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 105% more expensive than in Maringa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Maringa is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.70 R$29.38

40.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$23.76 R$122

101.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.25 R$42.51

19.88%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.99 R$10.23

57.29%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.25 R$6.44

52.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.74 R$3.80

104.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.55 R$7.98

101.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.65 R$13.67

116.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.23 R$6.36

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.56 R$8.04

59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.44 R$7.41

22.92%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.93 R$9.93

53.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.84 R$55.8

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.80 R$19.59

166.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.49 R$43.75

68.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.86 R$9.59

122.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.29 R$6.64

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.75 R$3.88

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.34 R$6.89

67.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.12 R$5.76

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.99 R$5.10

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.86 R$4.45

36.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.80 R$4.11

63.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.92 R$9.87

103.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.56 R$38.95

85.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.79 R$4.07

120.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.52 R$7.83

88.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.00 R$5.18

22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$44.57 R$230

80.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.38 R$12.29

-44.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.80 R$4.10

173.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.69 R$13.84

223.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.20 R$6.19

14.17%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$35.2K R$181.5K

-20.98%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$32.4K R$166.7K

10.53%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$83.4 R$429

112.69%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.67 R$55.0

30.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$22.85 R$118

30.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$21.42 R$110

109.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$48.43 R$250

-64.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.75 R$29.62

15.65%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$293 R$1,508

177.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,541 R$38.9K

21.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$41.48 R$214

115.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$58.2 R$300

1.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$85.6 R$441

61.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$58.8 R$303

73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$324 R$1,667

228.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$201 R$1,035

229.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$614 R$3,163

207.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$371 R$1,910

177.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,444 R$7,441

189.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$938 R$4,833

78.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$775 R$3,991

-12.51%

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 Maringa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $324 in Maringa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maringa pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Maringa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $186 per month, with Maringa 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 Maringa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maringa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Maringa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $324 in Maringa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Maringa runs roughly 81% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $293 in Maringa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $818 in Maringa versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maringa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maringa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maringa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maringa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.