Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bauru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bauru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $809 in Bauru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,232 in Bauru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,654 in Bauru.

Living in Medellin is roughly 108% more expensive than in Bauru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bauru is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.78 R$24.61

67.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$26.10 R$134

83.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.60 R$39.18

30.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.57 R$8.09

99.36%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.94 R$4.87

103.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.56 R$2.88

169.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.52 R$7.81

105.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.48 R$12.76

131.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.93 R$4.79

54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.50 R$7.73

66.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.22 R$6.31

45.08%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.37 R$12.22

24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.41 R$38.19

35.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.31 R$22.21

134.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.11 R$31.47

134.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.01 R$10.38

105.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.36 R$6.99

18.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.18 R$6.10

90.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.73 R$8.89

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.34 R$6.90

52.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.19 R$6.14

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.38 R$7.10

-15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.00 R$5.16

31.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.26 R$11.66

72.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.97 R$35.90

101.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.14 R$5.88

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.33 R$11.99

23.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.01 R$5.19

20.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$29.64 R$153

171.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.82 R$9.37

-28.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.27 R$6.56

72.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.94 R$20.32

121.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.08 R$5.55

26.85%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.0K R$118.5K

21.07%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.3K R$176.5K

4.43%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$136 R$702

30.03%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$10.31 R$53.1

34.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$19.71 R$102

50.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$18.81 R$96.9

138.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$22.65 R$117

-24.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.47 R$28.16

21.57%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$250 R$1,286

225.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,913 R$30.5K

55.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$67.3 R$347

32.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$48.96 R$252

20.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$109 R$562

26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$73.8 R$380

38.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$240 R$1,236

342.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$163 R$842

305.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$444 R$2,285

325.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$295 R$1,520

248.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,541 R$7,938

171.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$700 R$3,606

139.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$381 R$1,965

77.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.59

14.08%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bauru: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $240 in Bauru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 78% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Bauru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $181 per month, with Bauru 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 Bauru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bauru wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bauru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 78% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $240 in Bauru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bauru – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $809 in Bauru – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Bauru versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bauru but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bauru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bauru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $809 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bauru hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bauru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.