Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbacena and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbacena and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $680 in Barbacena versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,075 in Barbacena versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,470 in Barbacena versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Barbacena costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barbacena 49% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 R$18.36

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-37.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.31 R$81.4

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-50.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 R$23.07

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-35.83%

Cappuccino

$0.87 R$4.34

$1.70 COP 6,140

-48.82%

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

$1.35 R$6.73

$1.10 COP 3,966

22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.70

$0.72 COP 2,605

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 R$4.27

$1.67 COP 6,022

-48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 R$7.93

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-48.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.07

$1.06 COP 3,809

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.53

$1.25 COP 4,497

20.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.37

$1.39 COP 5,022

-7.91%

Eggs

$1.81 R$9.05

$2.26 COP 8,168

-19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 R$31.78

$4.33 COP 15.6K

47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 R$15.81

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-45.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 R$38.56

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.26

$2.24 COP 8,099

-53.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.59

$1.08 COP 3,882

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.13

$1.53 COP 5,522

-6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.31

$1.37 COP 4,950

-22.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 R$3.46

$1.13 COP 4,078

-38.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.03

$1.12 COP 4,036

-9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.82

$0.85 COP 3,057

-32.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 R$2.77

$0.91 COP 3,281

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 R$7.94

$2.33 COP 8,414

-31.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 R$29.10

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.32

$1.19 COP 4,309

-43.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R$13.57

$2.37 COP 8,553

14.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.60

$0.79 COP 2,838

16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 R$193

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-6.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.26

$1.44 COP 5,184

-27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.23

$1.91 COP 6,901

-65.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.17 R$35.76

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-10.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.05

$0.94 COP 3,385

7.45%

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

$13.5K R$67.5K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

-24.48%

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

$10.9K R$54.3K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-59.39%

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

$75.3 R$376

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-10.33%

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

$20.18 R$101

$9.60 COP 34.7K

110.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.48 R$62.3

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-48.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.81 R$114

$25.88 COP 93.4K

-11.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 R$110

$19.04 COP 68.7K

15.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 R$31.91

$3.92 COP 14.1K

63.27%

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

$443 R$2,212

$306 COP 1.1M

44.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,379 R$31.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

7.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 R$325

$57.9 COP 209.1K

12.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.53 R$177

$31.82 COP 114.9K

11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 R$479

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 R$403

$107 COP 386.8K

-24.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 R$1,039

$487 COP 1.8M

-57.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$771

$368 COP 1.3M

-58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 R$1,928

$826 COP 3.0M

-53.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,390

$716 COP 2.6M

-61.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,694 R$8,454

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-42.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 R$6,044

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-13.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

13.43

-13.63%

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

Last update for Barbacena: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Barbacena and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Barbacena vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $190 per month, with Barbacena 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

Barbacena vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbacena and Medellin differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($680 vs $1,034 including rent). Barbacena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,020 in Barbacena and $1,550 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Barbacena versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $680 per month in Barbacena versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barbacena runs roughly 7% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $680 in Barbacena versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barbacena but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barbacena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Barbacena 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.