Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbacena and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbacena: $798 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Barbacena
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Barbacena Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Barbacena

🇧🇷 Brazil

$798

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barbacena and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barbacena and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $798 in Barbacena versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Barbacena $798
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Barbacena versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Barbacena $1,216
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,634 in Barbacena versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Barbacena $1,634
Medellin $3,186

Living in Barbacena costs roughly 51% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barbacena is 41% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.08 R$27.15

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-37.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.42 R$104

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-58.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 R$30.56

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-39.79%

Cappuccino

$1.55 R$8.29

$3.01 COP 9,540

-48.50%

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

$1.42 R$7.59

$1.80 COP 5,693

-21.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.29

$1.41 COP 4,469

-43.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 R$6.55

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R$10.70

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-65.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.70

$1.51 COP 4,778

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 R$10.62

$2.38 COP 7,524

-16.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.28

$1.77 COP 5,606

-33.90%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.82

$2.89 COP 9,146

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 R$53.7

$10.19 COP 32.2K

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 R$22.71

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-56.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 R$48.00

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-35.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.55

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.66

$1.55 COP 4,911

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.88

$2.18 COP 6,907

-32.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R$9.41

$2.18 COP 6,910

-19.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.30

$1.96 COP 6,210

-39.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.39

$1.59 COP 5,029

-36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.77

$1.15 COP 3,625

-39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.30

$1.24 COP 3,934

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 R$14.53

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-31.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 R$40.12

$13.68 COP 43.3K

-45.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.84

$1.66 COP 5,252

-34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$12.39

$2.26 COP 7,145

2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.00

$1.17 COP 3,696

-19.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.71 R$218

$77.4 COP 244.8K

-47.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.27 COP 4,013

-7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.26

$2.05 COP 6,480

-60.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 R$45.56

$8.55 COP 27.1K

-0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.49

$1.35 COP 4,262

-10.37%

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

$21.9K R$116.8K

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-35.86%

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

$32.1K R$171.3K

$34.7K COP 109.7M

-7.56%

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

$125 R$668

$170 COP 536.8K

-26.38%

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

$10.19 R$54.5

$13.55 COP 42.9K

-24.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.67 R$116

$28.07 COP 88.8K

-22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.66 R$121

$43.70 COP 138.3K

-48.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.16 R$151

$17.19 COP 54.4K

63.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 R$40.70

$6.91 COP 21.9K

10.13%

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

$552 R$2,952

$797 COP 2.5M

-30.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K R$64.5K

$9,112 COP 28.8M

32.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.68 R$212

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-53.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.40 R$243

$58.0 COP 183.4K

-21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 R$370

$135 COP 427.1K

-48.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 R$331

$97.9 COP 309.7K

-36.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,167

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-81.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 R$852

$642 COP 2.0M

-75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 R$2,145

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-80.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 R$1,568

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-71.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,641 R$8,774

$4,170 COP 13.2M

-60.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,139 R$6,087

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-40.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.94

9.05%

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

Last update for Barbacena: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Barbacena

$201 25.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 47.5% $96

Accommodation & Living

Barbacena

$159 20%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 303% $482

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barbacena

$157 19.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 34.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Barbacena

$97 12.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 73.6% $72

Eating Out

Barbacena

$95 12%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 77.8% $74

Getting Around

Barbacena

$50 6.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 88.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Barbacena

$38 4.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 51.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Barbacena and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Barbacena vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $297 per month, with Barbacena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Barbacena

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

02:31 2:31 AM

2 h behind Barbacena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,317

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.97 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Barbacena Medellin 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barbacena
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $798 in Barbacena and $1,639 in Medellin, so Barbacena is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,196 in Barbacena and $2,459 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: $218 in Barbacena versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $798 per month in Barbacena versus $1,639 in Medellin – Barbacena is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Barbacena runs roughly 47% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $798 in Barbacena versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 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 51% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.