Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Barcelos versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,969 in Barcelos versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,703 in Barcelos versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Barcelos costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelos is 10% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 €9.97

$8.03 COP 25.3K

43.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 €43.04

$48.26 COP 152.0K

3.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 €7.80

$9.77 COP 30.8K

-7.47%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.71

$2.91 COP 9,167

-31.96%

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

$2.02 €1.74

$1.94 COP 6,122

4.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.52 COP 4,792

-7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.09 COP 9,740

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.46

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-50.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.36 COP 4,296

-15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.39 COP 7,519

-23.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.70 COP 5,356

9.41%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.03

$2.87 COP 9,038

22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 €10.68

$9.94 COP 31.3K

24.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 €7.11

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-23.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €13.09

$14.73 COP 46.4K

2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-50.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.57 COP 4,950

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.13 COP 6,695

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.21 COP 6,972

15.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.05 COP 6,447

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.50 COP 4,737

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.19 COP 3,747

36.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.85

$1.16 COP 3,647

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.05

$3.90 COP 12.3K

79.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €3.91

$14.44 COP 45.5K

-68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.58 COP 4,987

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.83 COP 8,905

-17.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.17 COP 3,679

101.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.68 €20.43

$77.7 COP 244.8K

-69.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.95

$1.28 COP 4,045

257.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.09 COP 6,589

-29.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.53 €15.12

$8.62 COP 27.1K

103.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.90

$1.30 COP 4,088

69.23%

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

$34.9K €30.1K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

26.24%

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

$39.8K €34.4K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

12.20%

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

$116 €99.9

$176 COP 554.5K

-34.23%

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

$18.87 €16.28

$13.37 COP 42.1K

41.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.28 €39.07

$29.89 COP 94.1K

51.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.83 €34.37

$44.76 COP 141.0K

-11.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.85 €5.91

$17.06 COP 53.7K

-59.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 €8.03

$6.20 COP 19.5K

50.16%

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

$342 €295

$793 COP 2.5M

-56.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,634 €5,724

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-26.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 €65.5

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 €33.35

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-33.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 €69.5

$136 COP 429.3K

-40.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €95.0

$103 COP 324.7K

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 €443

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-51.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 €314

$680 COP 2.1M

-46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €805

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-53.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €646

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-35.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 €2,367

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-33.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,545 €1,333

$1,701 COP 5.4M

-9.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,120 €966

$665 COP 2.1M

68.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

10.94

-66.73%

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

Last update for Barcelos: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Barcelos and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Barcelos vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $303, with Barcelos 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

Barcelos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Barcelos, 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: $514 in Barcelos versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,235 in Barcelos versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barcelos 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelos and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.