Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Botucatu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Botucatu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $666 in Botucatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,121 in Botucatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,576 in Botucatu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 55% more expensive than Botucatu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Botucatu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$5.33 R$26.51

11.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$33.00 R$164

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.13 R$30.45

18.27%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.80 R$8.94

-5.00%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.32 R$6.55

-17.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.92 R$4.56

-16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.84 R$9.14

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$3.51 R$17.44

-9.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$0.75 R$3.74

41.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.03 R$5.12

26.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$0.87 R$4.31

58.62%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.17 R$5.81

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$7.37 R$36.64

-38.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$2.62 R$13.04

121.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$6.67 R$33.16

34.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$1.55 R$7.69

47.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$0.69 R$3.44

53.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$0.52 R$2.59

190.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.14 R$5.67

19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.93 R$4.60

24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$0.93 R$4.61

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.56 R$2.80

48.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.62 R$3.06

37.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.76 R$13.70

-14.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$6.96 R$34.57

59.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.04 R$5.16

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.47 R$12.25

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.93 R$4.63

-15.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$37.98 R$189

10.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$0.88 R$4.36

63.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.06 R$5.28

79.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$8.59 R$42.67

-10.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$0.94 R$4.69

9.57%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$22.0K R$109.4K

-19.68%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$29.5K R$146.4K

-8.31%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$23.50 R$117

246.47%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$9.11 R$45.28

3.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$14.30 R$71.1

66.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$22.95 R$114

12.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$21.86 R$109

-11.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$5.37 R$26.67

-24.58%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$246 R$1,221

27.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$5,726 R$28.5K

5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$40.64 R$202

44.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$38.89 R$193

-15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$44.23 R$220

127.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$68.2 R$339

55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$310 R$1,540

58.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$212 R$1,055

74.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$594 R$2,952

41.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$432 R$2,148

65.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$423 R$2,100

25.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.5

41.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Botucatu: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $310 in Botucatu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 26% 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: $33 in Medellin vs $33 in Botucatu. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $139, with Botucatu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Botucatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Botucatu wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Botucatu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 26% more on average, 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: $490 in Medellin versus $310 in Botucatu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Botucatu – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $666 in Botucatu versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Botucatu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Botucatu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Botucatu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $666 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Botucatu hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Botucatu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.