Cost of Living Comparison Between Acarigua and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Acarigua and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in Acarigua versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,401 in Acarigua versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,009 in Acarigua versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Acarigua costs roughly 53% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acarigua is 42% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 VES 9,147

$8.02 COP 24.9K

35.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 VES 57.2K

$47.87 COP 148.7K

42.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 VES 9,338

$9.89 COP 30.7K

12.34%

Cappuccino

$3.70 VES 3,105

$3.13 COP 9,724

18.21%

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

$1.49 VES 1,255

$1.91 COP 5,928

-21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 VES 1,084

$1.51 COP 4,692

-14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 VES 1,653

$3.12 COP 9,705

-36.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 VES 2,474

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-48.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 VES 2,249

$1.44 COP 4,489

86.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 VES 1,898

$2.49 COP 7,725

-9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 VES 1,522

$1.77 COP 5,510

2.26%

Eggs

$4.84 VES 4,064

$2.96 COP 9,195

63.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 VES 8,599

$10.07 COP 31.3K

1.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 VES 7,715

$10.12 COP 31.4K

-9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 VES 9,664

$14.30 COP 44.4K

-19.58%

Apples (1kg)

$7.08 VES 5,948

$4.14 COP 12.8K

71.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 VES 1,639

$1.61 COP 4,997

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 VES 1,775

$2.25 COP 6,976

-6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 1,993

$2.25 COP 6,997

5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 VES 2,009

$2.04 COP 6,347

17.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 VES 1,819

$1.54 COP 4,769

40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,359

$1.17 COP 3,635

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 VES 1,942

$1.31 COP 4,059

76.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 VES 3,827

$3.90 COP 12.1K

16.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 VES 10,000

$14.01 COP 43.5K

-15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 VES 1,195

$1.74 COP 5,415

-18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 VES 1,802

$2.87 COP 8,917

-25.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 VES 4,310

$1.31 COP 4,066

291.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 VES 2,321

$2.19 COP 6,796

26.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.26 VES 12.8K

$8.71 COP 27.1K

75.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 VES 674

$1.37 COP 4,241

-41.61%

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

$25.3K VES 21.3M

$27.8K COP 86.5M

-9.06%

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

$37.6K VES 31.6M

$35.8K COP 111.1M

5.01%

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

$23.44 VES 19.7K

$177 COP 550.8K

-86.78%

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

$11.70 VES 9,830

$13.88 COP 43.1K

-15.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.09 VES 30.3K

$29.72 COP 92.4K

21.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 VES 5,564

$6.65 COP 20.6K

-0.45%

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

$160 VES 134.3K

$813 COP 2.5M

-80.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,027 VES 5.1M

$9,187 COP 28.5M

-34.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 VES 61.7K

$89.5 COP 278.0K

-17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.52 VES 39.1K

$59.0 COP 183.2K

-21.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 VES 105.3K

$138 COP 429.4K

-9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 VES 117.4K

$102 COP 317.3K

36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$634 VES 532.2K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-62.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

101.10%

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

Last update for Acarigua: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68.0 in Acarigua vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $305 per month, with Medellin 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

Acarigua vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acarigua is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,191 in Acarigua and $2,521 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $794 per month in Acarigua versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Acarigua versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Acarigua but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Acarigua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Acarigua is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Acarigua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.