Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barquisimeto and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Barquisimeto: $793 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Barquisimeto
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Barquisimeto Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Barquisimeto

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$793

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Barquisimeto versus $1,692 in Medellin.

Barquisimeto $793
Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,355 in Barquisimeto versus $2,471 in Medellin.

Barquisimeto $1,355
Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,917 in Barquisimeto versus $3,249 in Medellin.

Barquisimeto $1,917
Medellin $3,249

Living in Barquisimeto costs roughly 53% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barquisimeto is 41% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 VES 8,757

$8.34 COP 26.9K

17.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.18 VES 43.9K

$46.53 COP 150.3K

5.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 VES 10.4K

$9.47 COP 30.6K

23.44%

Cappuccino

$1.72 VES 1,540

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-45.05%

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

$1.54 VES 1,371

$1.77 COP 5,704

-12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 VES 1,011

$1.42 COP 4,600

-20.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 VES 1,092

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-61.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 VES 2,923

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 VES 1,838

$1.53 COP 4,949

34.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 VES 1,181

$2.29 COP 7,399

-42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 VES 1,173

$1.94 COP 6,281

-32.47%

Eggs

$2.19 VES 1,950

$3.07 COP 9,902

-28.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.19 VES 5,527

$9.99 COP 32.3K

-38.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 VES 6,008

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-35.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 VES 6,155

$13.96 COP 45.1K

-50.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 VES 3,949

$4.05 COP 13.1K

9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 VES 1,370

$1.53 COP 4,936

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 VES 694

$2.10 COP 6,795

-62.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 VES 865

$2.29 COP 7,407

-57.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 VES 841

$2.11 COP 6,812

-55.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 VES 1,177

$1.71 COP 5,519

-22.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 VES 575

$1.17 COP 3,779

-45.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 VES 1,361

$1.58 COP 5,102

-3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 VES 2,621

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-24.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 VES 8,949

$14.04 COP 45.4K

-28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 VES 1,117

$1.76 COP 5,689

-28.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 VES 2,451

$2.71 COP 8,758

1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 VES 384

$1.18 COP 3,810

-63.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.79 VES 36.4K

$76.3 COP 246.4K

-46.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 VES 4,452

$1.81 COP 5,835

175.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 VES 1,366

$2.13 COP 6,876

-28.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.95 VES 13.3K

$8.13 COP 26.3K

83.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 VES 654

$1.28 COP 4,118

-42.97%

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

$25.3K VES 22.6M

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-26.46%

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

$30.2K VES 27.0M

$34.1K COP 110.2M

-11.38%

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

$15.56 VES 13.9K

$178 COP 573.9K

-91.25%

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

$7.51 VES 6,702

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-45.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.87 VES 32.9K

$30.74 COP 99.3K

19.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.58 VES 30.0K

$41.94 COP 135.4K

-19.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.39 VES 7,491

$16.80 COP 54.3K

-50.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 VES 4,509

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-32.40%

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

$57.5 VES 51.3K

$790 COP 2.6M

-92.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$502 VES 448.2K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-95.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.24 VES 42.2K

$86.3 COP 278.8K

-45.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 VES 35.6K

$59.3 COP 191.4K

-32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 VES 82.9K

$138 COP 446.7K

-32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 VES 71.5K

$98.8 COP 319.1K

-18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$212 VES 189.3K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-84.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 VES 126.3K

$667 COP 2.2M

-78.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 VES 421.9K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 VES 287.3K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-68.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$464 VES 414.0K

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-88.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 VES 221.4K

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-87.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 VES 165.2K

$646 COP 2.1M

-71.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

128.52%

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

Last update for Barquisimeto: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Barquisimeto

$218 27.5%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 40.9% $89

Eating Out

Barquisimeto

$158 19.9%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 9.5% $15

Accommodation & Living

Barquisimeto

$142 17.8%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 371% $526

Clothing & Footwear

Barquisimeto

$117 14.8%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 47.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barquisimeto

$60 7.6%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 271% $162

Getting Around

Barquisimeto

$55 7%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 69.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Barquisimeto

$44 5.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 30.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $212 in Barquisimeto and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Barquisimeto vs $47 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $307, with Barquisimeto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Barquisimeto

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

1 h behind Barquisimeto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,240,714

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 VES = 11.2 USD

10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,003 VES (10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barquisimeto Medellin 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barquisimeto
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

Barquisimeto vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $793 in Barquisimeto and $1,692 in Medellin, so Barquisimeto is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Barquisimeto. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $212 in Barquisimeto versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $49 in Barquisimeto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $793 per month in Barquisimeto versus $1,692 in Medellin – Barquisimeto is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $793 in Barquisimeto versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto 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.

It comes down to priorities – Barquisimeto wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.