Cost of Living Comparison Between Bowral and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bowral and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,542 in Bowral versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Bowral versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,982 in Bowral versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Bowral is roughly 51% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bowral 86% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.62 A$21.87

$8.02 COP 24.9K

94.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 A$129

$47.87 COP 148.7K

92.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 A$15.13

$9.89 COP 30.7K

9.30%

Cappuccino

$2.83 A$3.97

$3.13 COP 9,725

-9.58%

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

$2.19 A$3.07

$1.91 COP 5,929

14.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.03

$1.51 COP 4,692

-3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 A$11.70

$3.12 COP 9,705

167.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 A$14.20

$5.75 COP 17.9K

76.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 A$2.23

$1.44 COP 4,490

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 A$4.71

$2.49 COP 7,726

34.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.72

$1.77 COP 5,511

50.28%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.82

$2.96 COP 9,196

88.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 A$19.38

$10.07 COP 31.3K

37.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 A$15.43

$10.12 COP 31.4K

8.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 A$22.41

$14.30 COP 44.4K

11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$5.86

$4.14 COP 12.9K

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.50

$1.61 COP 4,997

99.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.11

$2.25 COP 6,977

62.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 A$7.02

$2.25 COP 6,998

122.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.42

$2.04 COP 6,348

54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 A$3.99

$1.54 COP 4,770

85.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 A$3.87

$1.17 COP 3,636

135.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 A$2.01

$1.31 COP 4,060

9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.34 A$64.9

$3.90 COP 12.1K

1088.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 A$21.00

$14.01 COP 43.5K

7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.93 A$6.90

$1.74 COP 5,416

183.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 A$7.69

$2.87 COP 8,918

91.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 A$4.15

$1.22 COP 3,776

142.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 A$120

$80.5 COP 250.1K

6.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 A$5.63

$1.31 COP 4,067

206.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.23

$2.19 COP 6,796

-27.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.47 A$60.9

$8.71 COP 27.1K

399.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.79

$1.37 COP 4,241

-6.57%

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

$27.3K A$38.2K

$27.8K COP 86.5M

-1.95%

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

$30.5K A$42.7K

$35.8K COP 111.2M

-14.68%

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

$187 A$262

$177 COP 550.9K

5.47%

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

$27.66 A$38.73

$13.88 COP 43.1K

99.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 A$78.7

$29.72 COP 92.4K

89.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.41 A$67.8

$44.88 COP 139.5K

7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.26 A$28.37

$17.12 COP 53.2K

18.34%

Cinema Ticket

$16.94 A$23.73

$6.65 COP 20.6K

154.74%

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

$2,530 A$3,543

$813 COP 2.5M

211.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K A$29.3K

$9,187 COP 28.5M

127.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 A$111

$89.5 COP 278.1K

-11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$80.5

$59.0 COP 183.2K

-2.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$174

$138 COP 429.4K

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$186

$102 COP 317.3K

29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 A$1,796

$1,062 COP 3.3M

20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,828

$663 COP 2.1M

96.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 A$3,107

$1,888 COP 5.9M

17.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 A$2,829

$1,027 COP 3.2M

96.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,080 A$8,515

$4,183 COP 13.0M

45.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,055 A$7,080

$1,675 COP 5.2M

201.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,879 A$4,032

$678 COP 2.1M

324.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.98

10.94

-45.34%

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

Last update for Bowral: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,283 in Bowral and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowral pays 325% 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: $92.0 in Bowral vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $305 per month, with Medellin 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

Bowral vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bowral and Medellin differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,542 vs $1,681 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 325% higher in Bowral, 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: $1,283 in Bowral versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,530 in Bowral versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Bowral. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,542 in Bowral, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bowral. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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.

Safety-wise, Bowral and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Bowral. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.