Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bariloche and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Bariloche and in Medellin: $1,646 and $1,614 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Bariloche
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Bariloche Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bariloche

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bariloche 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 Bariloche and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Bariloche versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Bariloche $1,646
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,531 in Bariloche versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Bariloche $2,531
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,416 in Bariloche versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Bariloche $3,416
Medellin $3,190

Living in Bariloche is roughly 2% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bariloche 22% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 ARS 30.8K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

156.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ARS 89.7K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

28.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 ARS 21.5K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

49.05%

Cappuccino

$3.93 ARS 5,968

$3.11 COP 9,866

26.37%

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

$1.68 ARS 2,548

$1.83 COP 5,800

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,786

$1.38 COP 4,360

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 ARS 8,131

$3.05 COP 9,672

75.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ARS 6,916

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,097

$1.45 COP 4,600

-4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 ARS 3,223

$2.36 COP 7,496

-10.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,317

$1.68 COP 5,328

-8.93%

Eggs

$2.67 ARS 4,052

$2.86 COP 9,077

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 ARS 23.0K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

48.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ARS 15.7K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

8.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ARS 3,632

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ARS 3,934

$1.50 COP 4,742

72.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,931

$2.17 COP 6,891

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 ARS 4,002

$2.31 COP 7,310

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ARS 1,492

$1.93 COP 6,113

-49.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 ARS 1,148

$1.64 COP 5,196

-53.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 ARS 3,115

$1.13 COP 3,571

81.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ARS 1,947

$1.25 COP 3,954

2.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ARS 4,430

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-26.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 ARS 11.3K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ARS 2,761

$1.70 COP 5,384

7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 ARS 6,017

$2.37 COP 7,525

67.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ARS 1,539

$1.21 COP 3,827

-16.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 ARS 1,505

$1.32 COP 4,179

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ARS 1,597

$1.30 COP 4,114

-19.23%

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

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-28.61%

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

$32.3K ARS 49.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-8.67%

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

$84.0 ARS 127.4K

$172 COP 545.6K

-51.21%

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

$16.75 ARS 25.4K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 ARS 36.6K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.66 ARS 75.4K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

9.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.87 ARS 60.5K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

133.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ARS 12.5K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

31.37%

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

$296 ARS 449.9K

$770 COP 2.4M

-61.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,242 ARS 6.4M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-52.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 ARS 112.5K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-14.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 ARS 59.6K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 ARS 170.0K

$137 COP 432.9K

-17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 ARS 146.2K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 ARS 1.9M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 ARS 1.1M

$616 COP 2.0M

14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ARS 1.8M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 ARS 1.8M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

14.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,030 ARS 4.6M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-25.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,498 ARS 3.8M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

48.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$953 ARS 1.4M

$652 COP 2.1M

46.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

722.67%

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

Last update for Bariloche: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bariloche

$706 42.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 12.8% $90

Eating Out

Bariloche

$302 18.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 44.3% $134

Groceries & Markets

Bariloche

$297 18.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 0.9% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Bariloche

$145 8.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 17.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bariloche

$125 7.6%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 71.6% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Bariloche

$66 4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 12.6% $8.3

Getting Around

Bariloche

$5.1 * 0.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1748% $88

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Bariloche and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bariloche pays 46% 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: $59.0 in Bariloche vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Bariloche

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

14:37 2:37 PM

2 h behind Bariloche

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,755

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bariloche Medellin 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bariloche
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

Bariloche vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Bariloche, 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: $1,278 in Bariloche versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Bariloche versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $59.0 in Bariloche. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,646 in Bariloche, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bariloche. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Bariloche 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bariloche. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.