Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bagé Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bagé

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $762 in Bagé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,244 in Bagé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,726 in Bagé.

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than Bagé, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bagé 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.31 R$27.35

12.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$27.08 R$139

21.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$6.28 R$32.34

12.90%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.79 R$9.24

-4.47%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.08 R$5.56

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.65 R$3.36

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.75 R$9.02

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.78 R$14.32

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$0.92 R$4.75

18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.52 R$7.85

-17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.15 R$5.90

20.00%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.01 R$10.36

8.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.08 R$41.60

-45.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.57 R$18.39

57.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$7.09 R$36.50

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.13 R$10.95

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.31 R$6.73

-19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.19 R$6.13

26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.45 R$7.46

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.20 R$6.20

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.05 R$5.40

10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.70 R$3.58

27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.65 R$3.36

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.19 R$11.30

4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$8.42 R$43.40

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.27 R$6.56

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.06 R$10.62

19.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.88 R$4.52

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$38.81 R$200

6.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.06 R$5.44

38.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.74 R$3.83

164.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.47 R$33.34

19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.03 R$5.32

-7.77%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$21.0K R$108.4K

-13.84%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$27.9K R$143.5K

-4.95%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$60.8 R$313

35.24%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$13.70 R$70.6

-30.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$18.65 R$96.1

29.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$22.48 R$116

15.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$21.42 R$110

-11.30%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.22 R$32.02

-36.82%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$269 R$1,385

15.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,510 R$33.5K

-8.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$49.18 R$253

19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$41.39 R$213

-21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$76.0 R$392

34.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$65.1 R$335

66.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$319 R$1,642

49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$220 R$1,131

72.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$587 R$3,024

42.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$428 R$2,204

69.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,784 R$9,189

56.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,004 R$5,170

20.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bagé: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $319 in Bagé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Bagé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $175 per month, with Bagé 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 Bagé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bagé wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bagé the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,143 in Bagé to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $319 in Bagé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $269 in Bagé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $762 in Bagé versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bagé but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bagé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bagé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $762 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bagé hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bagé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.