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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $668 in Botucatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,111 in Botucatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,555 in Botucatu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than Botucatu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Botucatu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.51 R$28.39

8.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$33.19 R$171

-0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$6.43 R$33.12

10.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.79 R$9.22

-4.47%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.32 R$6.82

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.86 R$4.41

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.83 R$9.40

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.36 R$17.31

-8.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$0.69 R$3.54

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.00 R$5.13

26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$0.83 R$4.30

66.27%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$1.16 R$5.96

88.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$7.31 R$37.68

-39.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$2.64 R$13.59

113.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$6.47 R$33.30

37.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$1.57 R$8.09

49.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$0.69 R$3.58

53.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$0.51 R$2.65

194.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.09 R$5.60

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$0.87 R$4.48

32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$0.92 R$4.76

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.53 R$2.73

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.65 R$3.34

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.75 R$14.16

-17.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$6.68 R$34.39

59.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.04 R$5.35

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.45 R$12.62

0.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.86 R$4.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$38.88 R$200

6.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$0.86 R$4.44

70.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$1.03 R$5.29

90.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$8.72 R$44.90

-11.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$0.95 R$4.88

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$22.7K R$117.0K

-20.19%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$29.5K R$152.0K

-10.25%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$23.83 R$123

245.15%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$9.23 R$47.54

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$14.17 R$73.0

71.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$22.18 R$114

16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$21.26 R$109

-10.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$5.49 R$28.27

-28.42%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$248 R$1,277

24.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$5,709 R$29.4K

4.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$41.36 R$213

41.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$38.46 R$198

-15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$45.08 R$232

127.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$68.1 R$351

59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$318 R$1,640

49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$214 R$1,104

76.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$578 R$2,979

44.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$425 R$2,187

70.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$422 R$2,175

21.23%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Botucatu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $318 in Botucatu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 21% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Botucatu. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $137, 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 52% 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 21% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $318 in Botucatu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% 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 $668 in Botucatu versus $1,013 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 $668 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 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.