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 $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $775 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $1,236 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,696 in Barra do Garças, rent included.

Medellin costs about 29% more than Barra do Garças, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Barra do Garças are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Barra do Garças 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$5.29 R$26.86

11.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$26.76 R$136

23.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.34 R$32.16

17.19%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.78 R$9.05

-7.30%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.09 R$5.51

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.61 R$3.11

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.85 R$9.41

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.72 R$13.79

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.99 R$5.03

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.44 R$7.31

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.13 R$5.73

22.12%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.01 R$10.21

8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$8.11 R$41.17

-44.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.73 R$18.91

55.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.18 R$36.41

24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.15 R$10.92

7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.30 R$6.58

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.19 R$6.03

27.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.46 R$7.40

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.16 R$5.88

-2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.11 R$5.62

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.75 R$3.83

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.62 R$3.17

45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.09 R$10.61

6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$7.99 R$40.56

51.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.27 R$6.46

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.04 R$10.36

21.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.92 R$4.67

-7.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$38.33 R$195

8.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.05 R$5.34

35.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.72 R$3.64

170.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$6.53 R$33.12

20.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.05 R$5.30

-5.71%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$20.8K R$105.6K

-15.39%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$27.8K R$141.0K

-3.58%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$61.2 R$310

35.68%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$13.73 R$69.7

-29.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$19.01 R$96.5

23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.20 R$113

13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$21.24 R$108

-10.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.14 R$31.17

-35.67%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$274 R$1,392

15.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$6,576 R$33.4K

-9.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$49.64 R$252

20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$41.49 R$211

-23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$76.9 R$390

32.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$65.2 R$331

64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$310 R$1,574

53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$215 R$1,091

73.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$578 R$2,935

46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$422 R$2,142

70.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,823 R$9,248

79.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,183 R$6,005

21.72%

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 Barra do Garças: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $310 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: $193 vs $175 – 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: $1,003 in Medellin, $775 in Barra do Garças – roughly 29% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,504 per month in Medellin and $1,163 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 9% less in Barra do Garças. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $316 per month in Medellin and $274 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 $775, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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 $775 in Barra do Garças to $1,003 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.