Cost of Living Comparison Between Barlad and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barlad and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,036 per month in Barlad vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,583 per month in Barlad vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,131 per month in Barlad vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Barlad costs about 2% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Barlad and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Barlad 22% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 RON 42.97

$5.93 COP 19.0K

58.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 RON 209

$33.12 COP 106.0K

37.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 RON 37.22

$7.12 COP 22.8K

13.90%

Cappuccino

$2.69 RON 12.34

$1.71 COP 5,457

57.31%

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

$1.95 RON 8.94

$1.05 COP 3,356

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 RON 7.70

$0.72 COP 2,311

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 RON 10.33

$1.72 COP 5,502

30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 RON 12.32

$3.17 COP 10.2K

-15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.10

$1.06 COP 3,408

46.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 RON 5.68

$1.31 COP 4,192

-5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 RON 7.68

$1.33 COP 4,256

25.56%

Eggs

$3.38 RON 15.52

$2.28 COP 7,298

48.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 RON 38.28

$4.42 COP 14.1K

88.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 RON 30.83

$5.92 COP 18.9K

13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 RON 47.89

$8.64 COP 27.7K

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.42

$2.34 COP 7,504

-49.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.34

$1.10 COP 3,527

45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 RON 7.38

$1.47 COP 4,698

9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 RON 9.21

$1.38 COP 4,415

45.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.10

$1.17 COP 3,754

-23.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.56

$1.17 COP 3,744

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 3.99

$0.90 COP 2,890

-3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.54

$0.84 COP 2,693

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 RON 27.04

$2.33 COP 7,449

153.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 RON 32.91

$11.92 COP 38.1K

-39.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.94

$1.15 COP 3,673

-6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.55

$2.42 COP 7,749

-31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.28

$0.84 COP 2,687

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 RON 91.1

$40.83 COP 130.7K

-51.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 RON 3.56

$1.41 COP 4,517

-44.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.22

$1.91 COP 6,127

-63.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 RON 31.55

$7.83 COP 25.0K

-12.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.31

$0.94 COP 3,020

69.15%

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

$28.1K RON 128.7K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

57.46%

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

$27.3K RON 125.5K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

0.99%

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

$151 RON 692

$83.3 COP 266.4K

81.22%

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

$8.30 RON 38.09

$9.66 COP 30.9K

-14.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 RON 41.01

$24.22 COP 77.5K

-63.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 RON 187

$25.22 COP 80.7K

61.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.45 RON 89.2

$19.33 COP 61.9K

0.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 RON 32.37

$4.07 COP 13.0K

73.46%

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

$433 RON 1,988

$307 COP 981.2K

41.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,858 RON 31.5K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

14.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 RON 309

$60.0 COP 191.9K

12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.67 RON 177

$32.65 COP 104.5K

18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 RON 345

$101 COP 323.5K

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 RON 421

$108 COP 345.7K

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,796

$476 COP 1.5M

-17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,315

$379 COP 1.2M

-24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 RON 2,709

$816 COP 2.6M

-27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 RON 2,031

$707 COP 2.3M

-37.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,722 RON 7,901

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-46.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 RON 6,530

$1,446 COP 4.6M

-1.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

13.43

-51.15%

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

Last update for Barlad: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in Barlad versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Barlad versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $192 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Barlad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,036 in Barlad, $1,018 in Medellin – roughly 2% apart. Barlad costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,554 per month in Barlad and $1,527 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 106% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Barlad and $307 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in Barlad at $1,036. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barlad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,018 in Medellin to $1,036 in Barlad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barlad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.