Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barra do Garças Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barra do Garças

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $782 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,244 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,706 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

Medellin costs about 32% more than Barra do Garças, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Barra do Garças are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Barra do Garças 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.54 R$27.63

6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$27.10 R$135

20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.26 R$31.23

15.02%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.71 R$8.55

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.08 R$5.40

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.65 R$3.26

10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.82 R$9.08

-8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.66 R$13.27

16.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.94 R$4.67

12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.46 R$7.27

-14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.19 R$5.93

16.81%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.96 R$9.78

15.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.09 R$40.38

-46.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.54 R$17.68

64.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.13 R$35.57

23.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.15 R$10.71

4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.27 R$6.32

-14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.15 R$5.73

33.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.45 R$7.21

-5.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.18 R$5.91

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.11 R$5.55

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.76 R$3.77

11.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.61 R$3.07

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.12 R$10.58

9.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.82 R$39.03

42.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.27 R$6.35

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.01 R$10.04

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.93 R$4.66

-15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$38.57 R$192

6.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.11 R$5.52

29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.71 R$3.57

169.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.53 R$32.59

22.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.08 R$5.39

-12.96%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.8K R$104.0K

-13.99%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.1K R$135.3K

-1.17%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$60.0 R$300

39.84%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.60 R$67.9

-29.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$18.49 R$92.3

30.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.47 R$112

15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$21.92 R$109

-13.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.25 R$31.19

-37.28%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$267 R$1,334

14.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,355 R$31.7K

-6.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$49.35 R$246

17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$42.49 R$212

-25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$76.9 R$384

29.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$63.8 R$318

67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$320 R$1,598

52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$218 R$1,088

68.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$592 R$2,952

39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$432 R$2,156

65.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,635 R$8,159

78.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,139 R$5,681

23.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barra do Garças: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $320 in Barra do Garças. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $27.00 in Barra do Garças. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $172 – making Barra do Garças the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Barra do Garças: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,034 in Medellin, $782 in Barra do Garças – roughly 32% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,173 in Barra do Garças. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barra do Garças, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Barra do Garças. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Medellin and $267 in Barra do Garças. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barra do Garças, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Barra do Garças it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $782 in Barra do Garças to $1,034 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barra do Garças. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.