Cost of Living Comparison Between Barreiras and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barreiras and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Barreiras versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,231 in Barreiras versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,685 in Barreiras versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Barreiras costs roughly 25% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barreiras 42% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 R$26.55

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-10.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.48 R$132

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-19.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 R$30.84

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-14.17%

Cappuccino

$1.80 R$8.98

$1.70 COP 6,140

5.88%

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

$1.09 R$5.44

$1.10 COP 3,966

-0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.05

$0.72 COP 2,605

-15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R$9.18

$1.67 COP 6,022

10.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 R$13.40

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 R$4.90

$1.06 COP 3,809

-7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 R$7.23

$1.25 COP 4,497

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.85

$1.39 COP 5,022

-15.83%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.21

$2.26 COP 8,168

-9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 R$40.35

$4.33 COP 15.6K

86.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 R$17.75

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-39.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 R$35.66

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-19.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.71

$2.24 COP 8,099

-4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.51

$1.08 COP 3,882

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.73

$1.53 COP 5,522

-24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.31

$1.37 COP 4,950

6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.70

$1.13 COP 4,078

0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.52

$1.12 COP 4,036

-0.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.69

$0.85 COP 3,057

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.08

$0.91 COP 3,281

-31.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 R$10.37

$2.33 COP 8,414

-10.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 R$43.34

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.06

$1.19 COP 4,309

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.20

$2.37 COP 8,553

-13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.38

$0.79 COP 2,838

11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.29 R$191

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-6.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.48

$1.44 COP 5,184

-23.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.80

$1.91 COP 6,901

-60.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 R$32.14

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-19.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.24

$0.94 COP 3,385

11.70%

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

$20.9K R$104.1K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

16.36%

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

$28.2K R$140.5K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

5.09%

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

$61.6 R$307

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-26.68%

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

$13.29 R$66.3

$9.60 COP 34.7K

38.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.11 R$95.3

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-20.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.77 R$114

$25.88 COP 93.4K

-12.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.69 R$108

$19.04 COP 68.7K

13.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 R$31.29

$3.92 COP 14.1K

59.95%

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

$275 R$1,370

$306 COP 1.1M

-10.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,577 R$32.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

11.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.73 R$243

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.74 R$213

$31.82 COP 114.9K

34.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 R$385

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 R$315

$107 COP 386.8K

-41.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 R$1,578

$487 COP 1.8M

-35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 R$1,071

$368 COP 1.3M

-41.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$2,915

$826 COP 3.0M

-29.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 R$2,122

$716 COP 2.6M

-40.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,690 R$8,432

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,315 R$6,560

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-6.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

13.43

-18.69%

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

Last update for Barreiras: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $316 in Barreiras and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Barreiras vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $190 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

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

Barreiras vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,165 in Barreiras and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $316 in Barreiras versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Barreiras versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Barreiras versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras 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.

Expats usually find Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.