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: $2,176 in Bowral versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,211 in Bowral versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,246 in Bowral versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Bowral is roughly 115% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bowral is 62% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.12 A$19.67

$5.99 COP 21.4K

135.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 A$133

$32.86 COP 117.4K

190.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 A$11.82

$7.09 COP 25.3K

19.61%

Cappuccino

$2.55 A$3.56

$1.71 COP 6,115

49.12%

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

$1.89 A$2.64

$1.10 COP 3,924

71.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.79

$0.78 COP 2,781

65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 A$8.88

$1.68 COP 5,997

279.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 A$8.99

$3.07 COP 11.0K

110.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.90

$1.09 COP 3,906

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.36

$1.26 COP 4,508

91.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.95

$1.38 COP 4,922

53.62%

Eggs

$3.82 A$5.33

$2.19 COP 7,827

74.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 A$12.93

$4.40 COP 15.7K

110.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 A$10.64

$5.63 COP 20.1K

35.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$19.98

$8.89 COP 31.8K

61.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.52

$2.34 COP 8,349

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.63

$1.06 COP 3,777

146.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$1.50 COP 5,374

83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 A$5.05

$1.38 COP 4,924

162.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.78

$1.15 COP 4,111

135.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.05

$1.16 COP 4,155

88.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 A$2.87

$0.89 COP 3,182

131.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 A$1.51

$0.84 COP 2,997

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.51 A$41.12

$2.28 COP 8,145

1194.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 A$20.48

$10.64 COP 38.0K

38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 A$5.82

$1.20 COP 4,284

247.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 A$4.41

$2.47 COP 8,824

28.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.69

$0.86 COP 3,056

208.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.3

$41.40 COP 147.9K

54.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 A$3.26

$1.47 COP 5,264

59.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.52

$1.96 COP 7,009

-7.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.15 A$53.2

$7.74 COP 27.6K

392.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.55

$0.95 COP 3,409

17.89%

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

$29.3K A$40.8K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

61.59%

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

$21.4K A$29.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-19.03%

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

$187 A$261

$82.3 COP 293.7K

127.95%

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

$28.71 A$40.01

$9.50 COP 33.9K

202.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$78.5

$24.23 COP 86.5K

132.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.06 A$68.4

$25.89 COP 92.4K

89.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.55 A$21.66

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-18.16%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 A$17.94

$3.93 COP 14.0K

227.48%

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

$914 A$1,273

$309 COP 1.1M

195.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.5K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

98.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 A$108

$58.7 COP 209.5K

31.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.28 A$63.1

$32.35 COP 115.5K

39.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 A$127

$103 COP 366.4K

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$154

$108 COP 387.2K

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 A$1,758

$476 COP 1.7M

164.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,459

$379 COP 1.4M

176.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 A$2,831

$838 COP 3.0M

142.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 A$2,315

$724 COP 2.6M

129.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,644 A$7,865

$2,791 COP 10.0M

102.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,873 A$8,184

$1,211 COP 4.3M

384.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,325 A$4,633

$512 COP 1.8M

549.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

13.43

-49.74%

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

Last update for Bowral: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,261 in Bowral and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowral pays 550% 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: $95.0 in Bowral vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $188 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 115% in total monthly costs ($2,176 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bowral pays 550% more on average, 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: $1,261 in Bowral versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $914 in Bowral versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Bowral. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,176 in Bowral, a $1,500 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 115% less than in Bowral. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.