Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maringa

For one person, living is cheaper in Maringa: $767 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Maringa
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Maringa Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Maringa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$767

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Maringa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $767 in Maringa.

Medellin $1,639
Maringa $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,208 in Maringa.

Medellin $2,413
Maringa $1,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,649 in Maringa.

Medellin $3,186
Maringa $1,649

Living in Medellin is roughly 114% more expensive than in Maringa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Maringa is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.72 R$30.78

41.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$22.68 R$122

107.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.14 R$43.78

16.71%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.95 R$10.48

54.36%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.14 R$6.16

57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.75 R$4.04

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.52 R$8.18

109.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.48 R$13.33

131.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.11 R$5.97

36.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.22 R$6.57

95.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.20 R$6.46

47.50%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.93 R$10.37

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.28 R$39.15

39.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.40 R$18.27

190.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.15 R$43.88

71.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.97 R$10.62

101.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.44 R$7.77

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$0.86 R$4.63

153.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.47 R$7.91

48.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.06 R$5.73

84.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.92 R$4.95

72.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.90 R$4.85

27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.76 R$4.11

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.90 R$10.20

108.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.28 R$39.18

87.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.73 R$3.92

127.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.47 R$7.93

53.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.91 R$4.90

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$42.00 R$226

84.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.26 R$12.15

-43.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.71 R$3.80

188.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.63 R$14.17

225.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.22 R$6.59

10.66%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$33.7K R$181.2K

1.16%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$30.3K R$163.2K

14.30%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$78.0 R$420

117.42%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$10.34 R$55.6

31.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$21.37 R$115

31.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$20.37 R$110

114.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$45.95 R$247

-62.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.47 R$29.44

26.33%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$194 R$1,042

311.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,241 R$39.0K

25.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$40.22 R$216

110.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$55.8 R$300

3.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$81.5 R$439

65.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$55.8 R$300

75.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$314 R$1,687

285.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$189 R$1,015

240.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$588 R$3,163

244.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$358 R$1,925

182.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,376 R$7,406

203.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$891 R$4,795

114.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$746 R$4,015

-11.92%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maringa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Maringa

$189 24.6% 70.6% $453

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Maringa

$167 21.8% 43.7% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Maringa

$110 14.3% 48.1% $102

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Maringa

$114 14.8% 33% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Maringa

$105 13.7% 37.9% $64

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Maringa

$51 6.7% 45% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Maringa

$31 4.1% 45.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $314 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: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Maringa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $167 per month, with Maringa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇷 Maringa

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

409,657

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Maringa 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Maringa

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 Maringa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maringa is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $314 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 46% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $194 in Maringa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $767 in Maringa versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

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 Maringa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.