🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $970 in Barnaul versus $1,034 in Medellin.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,522 in Barnaul versus $1,577 in Medellin.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,073 in Barnaul versus $2,120 in Medellin.
🙂Living in Barnaul costs roughly 6% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Barnaul28% lower, Medellin23% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.52₽565
$5.92COP 21.4K
27.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.40₽2,433
$32.75COP 118.2K
-1.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.93₽370
$7.20COP 26.0K
-31.53%
Cappuccino
$2.78₽209
$1.70COP 6,140
63.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28₽95.9
$1.10COP 3,966
16.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59₽44.18
$0.72COP 2,605
-18.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.87₽140
$1.67COP 6,022
11.98%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60₽196
$3.10COP 11.2K
-16.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.09₽82.1
$1.06COP 3,809
2.83%
White Bread(500g)
$0.47₽35.27
$1.25COP 4,497
-62.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.69₽127
$1.39COP 5,022
21.58%
Eggs
$1.65₽124
$2.26COP 8,168
-26.99%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.85₽815
$4.33COP 15.6K
150.58%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.19₽390
$5.84COP 21.1K
-11.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.93₽746
$8.83COP 31.9K
12.46%
Apples(1kg)
$2.06₽155
$2.24COP 8,099
-8.04%
Banana(1kg)
$1.87₽141
$1.08COP 3,882
73.15%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.93₽145
$1.53COP 5,522
26.14%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.87₽216
$1.37COP 4,950
109.49%
Potato(1kg)
$0.75₽56.3
$1.13COP 4,078
-33.63%
Onion(1kg)
$0.66₽49.80
$1.12COP 4,036
-41.07%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03₽77.1
$0.85COP 3,057
21.18%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48₽35.73
$0.91COP 3,281
-47.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.73₽205
$2.33COP 8,414
17.17%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.30₽473
$11.13COP 40.2K
-43.40%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.92₽68.8
$1.19COP 4,309
-22.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25₽93.9
$2.37COP 8,553
-47.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.52₽39.24
$0.79COP 2,838
-34.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$20.37₽1,530
$41.13COP 148.5K
-50.47%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.92₽144
$1.44COP 5,184
33.33%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.24₽18.14
$1.91COP 6,901
-87.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.97₽223
$8.02COP 28.9K
-62.97%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.76₽57.0
$0.94COP 3,385
-19.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.1K₽1.5M
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
12.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K₽2.0M
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
-0.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$104₽7,828
$84.0COP 303.1K
24.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.42₽407
$9.60COP 34.7K
-43.54%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.69₽653
$24.16COP 87.2K
-64.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$20.05₽1,506
$25.88COP 93.4K
-22.53%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.49₽563
$19.04COP 68.7K
-60.66%
Cinema Ticket
$5.63₽423
$3.92COP 14.1K
43.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$342₽25.7K
$306COP 1.1M
11.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,899₽292.8K
$5,919COP 21.4M
-34.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6₽4,400
$57.9COP 209.1K
1.16%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.72₽2,382
$31.82COP 114.9K
-0.31%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$69.0₽5,182
$99.9COP 360.6K
-30.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.0₽4,954
$107COP 386.8K
-38.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$532₽39.9K
$487COP 1.8M
9.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$375₽28.1K
$368COP 1.3M
1.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,027₽77.2K
$826COP 3.0M
24.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$714₽53.6K
$716COP 2.6M
-0.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,140₽160.7K
$2,925COP 10.6M
-26.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,806₽135.6K
$1,407COP 5.1M
28.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barnaul
Medellin
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$572₽42.9K
$546COP 2.0M
4.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
15.03
13.43
11.91%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Barnaul: April 26, 2026
Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in Barnaul and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Barnaul pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $32.00 in Barnaul vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado March 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Barnaul vs Medellin: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which city is more expensive, Barnaul or Medellin?
Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barnaul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Barnaul or Medellin?
Barnaul pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Barnaul vs Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $532 in Barnaul versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Barnaul compared to Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $970 per month in Barnaul versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Barnaul vs Medellin?
A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 102% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Barnaul or Medellin?
At $970 in Barnaul versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barnaul but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barnaul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Barnaul or Medellin?
Both work as nomad bases, but Barnaul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $970 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barnaul hard to pass up.
How safe is Barnaul compared to Medellin?
Safety-wise, Barnaul 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Barnaul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Barnaul vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado