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 $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $857 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,350 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,843 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

Medellin costs about 96% more than Barra do Garças, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Barra do Garças is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.93 R$30.53

35.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$27.57 R$142

73.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.08 R$36.46

39.69%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.88 R$9.71

66.49%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.24 R$6.39

54.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.72 R$3.73

109.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.97 R$10.15

58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.82 R$14.51

103.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.05 R$5.43

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.67 R$8.60

49.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.22 R$6.27

45.08%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.20 R$11.33

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.38 R$43.17

20.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.21 R$21.68

140.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.09 R$41.68

76.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.15 R$11.10

92.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.27 R$6.54

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.14 R$5.87

97.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.52 R$7.81

48.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.21 R$6.25

68.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.05 R$5.41

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.79 R$4.05

48.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.78 R$4.04

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.63 R$13.56

48.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.57 R$39.02

85.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.25 R$6.41

39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.08 R$10.73

37.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.88 R$4.54

38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$38.03 R$196

111.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.28 R$6.58

2.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.80 R$4.14

173.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$6.75 R$34.76

29.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.41 R$7.25

-2.84%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$20.2K R$104.3K

37.47%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$33.9K R$174.7K

5.48%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$82.0 R$422

116.22%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.50 R$59.3

20.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$21.88 R$113

35.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.30 R$130

77.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$27.66 R$143

-38.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.32 R$32.55

5.22%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$327 R$1,682

148.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,175 R$42.1K

12.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$47.33 R$244

89.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$49.02 R$253

20.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$95.4 R$491

44.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$78.5 R$404

30.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$350 R$1,805

203.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$224 R$1,155

195.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$554 R$2,853

240.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$462 R$2,382

122.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,471 R$7,576

184.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,021 R$5,258

64.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.06

-1.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barra do Garças: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $350 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Barra do Garças. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $186 – 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: $1,681 in Medellin, $857 in Barra do Garças – roughly 96% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,285 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 112% less in Barra do Garças. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $327 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 $857, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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 $857 in Barra do Garças to $1,681 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.