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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $774 in Bagé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,220 in Bagé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,667 in Bagé.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than in Bagé, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Bagé 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$5.36 R$27.43

10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$26.74 R$137

23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$6.36 R$32.56

16.82%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$1.77 R$9.06

-6.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$1.08 R$5.53

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.62 R$3.15

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.82 R$9.30

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$2.62 R$13.41

21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$0.95 R$4.87

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.51 R$7.75

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$1.18 R$6.02

16.95%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$1.93 R$9.88

12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$8.32 R$42.60

-46.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$3.56 R$18.20

62.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$7.03 R$36.00

27.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.06 R$10.54

12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$1.30 R$6.63

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$1.20 R$6.14

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.50 R$7.67

-9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$1.14 R$5.81

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$1.10 R$5.65

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.75 R$3.82

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.66 R$3.40

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$2.08 R$10.63

7.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$8.57 R$43.84

41.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$1.23 R$6.27

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$2.05 R$10.47

20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$0.88 R$4.51

-3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$38.82 R$199

7.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$1.06 R$5.43

33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.72 R$3.67

170.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$6.23 R$31.89

26.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.03 R$5.27

-3.88%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$20.5K R$105.1K

-14.32%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$27.8K R$142.4K

-3.71%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$60.1 R$308

38.12%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$13.55 R$69.3

-28.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$18.72 R$95.8

25.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$22.87 R$117

10.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$21.21 R$109

-9.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$6.35 R$32.48

-37.80%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$266 R$1,361

18.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$6,541 R$33.5K

-8.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$48.98 R$251

22.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$41.27 R$211

-22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$75.2 R$385

35.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$63.2 R$324

69.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$317 R$1,621

49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$218 R$1,113

71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$573 R$2,933

48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$422 R$2,158

70.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$1,398 R$7,156

133.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$1,284 R$6,570

12.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bagé: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $317 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 $193 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 30% 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 $1,504 in Medellin and $1,160 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: $475 in Medellin versus $317 in Bagé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $266 in Bagé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Bagé versus $1,003 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 $774 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 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.