Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Barrie versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Barrie versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,800 in Barrie versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Barrie is roughly 158% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barrie is 99% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.58 CA$19.97

$5.92 COP 21.4K

146.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$100

$32.75 COP 118.2K

123.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 CA$14.09

$7.20 COP 26.0K

42.78%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.74

$1.70 COP 6,140

103.53%

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

$1.88 CA$2.58

$1.10 COP 3,966

70.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$0.72 COP 2,605

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.72

$1.67 COP 6,022

281.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 CA$8.31

$3.10 COP 11.2K

95.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 CA$3.73

$1.06 COP 3,809

156.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 CA$4.04

$1.25 COP 4,497

136.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.46

$1.39 COP 5,022

187.05%

Eggs

$3.06 CA$4.19

$2.26 COP 8,168

35.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 CA$12.00

$4.33 COP 15.6K

102.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.00

$5.84 COP 21.1K

150.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.62 CA$33.73

$8.83 COP 31.9K

178.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$2.24 COP 8,099

66.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.74

$1.08 COP 3,882

17.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.17

$1.53 COP 5,522

99.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 CA$7.05

$1.37 COP 4,950

275.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.40

$1.13 COP 4,078

54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.16

$1.12 COP 4,036

236.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$0.85 COP 3,057

231.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$0.91 COP 3,281

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CA$15.93

$2.33 COP 8,414

399.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 CA$14.78

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.31

$1.19 COP 4,309

103.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$2.37 COP 8,553

-2.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.49

$0.79 COP 2,838

222.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 CA$91.1

$41.13 COP 148.5K

61.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$3.96

$1.44 COP 5,184

100.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 CA$2.81

$1.91 COP 6,901

7.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 CA$35.90

$8.02 COP 28.9K

226.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.56

$0.94 COP 3,385

21.28%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

38.72%

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

$20.2K CA$27.7K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-24.63%

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

$194 CA$266

$84.0 COP 303.1K

130.92%

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

$42.42 CA$58.1

$9.60 COP 34.7K

341.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 CA$105

$24.16 COP 87.2K

217.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.11 CA$49.48

$25.88 COP 93.4K

39.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.65 CA$50.2

$19.04 COP 68.7K

92.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 CA$18.34

$3.92 COP 14.1K

241.33%

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

$1,500 CA$2,055

$306 COP 1.1M

389.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

98.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 CA$97.9

$57.9 COP 209.1K

23.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 CA$77.4

$31.82 COP 114.9K

77.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CA$201

$99.9 COP 360.6K

46.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$155

$107 COP 386.8K

5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 CA$1,939

$487 COP 1.8M

190.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,789

$368 COP 1.3M

254.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 CA$3,023

$826 COP 3.0M

167.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 CA$2,522

$716 COP 2.6M

157.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,184 CA$7,102

$2,925 COP 10.6M

77.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,476 CA$6,132

$1,407 COP 5.1M

218.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,181 CA$4,358

$546 COP 2.0M

483.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

13.43

-50.63%

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

Last update for Barrie: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,415 in Barrie and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 483% 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: $73.0 in Barrie vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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

Barrie vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrie and Medellin differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($2,663 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barrie pays 483% more on average, 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: $1,415 in Barrie versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 62% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,500 in Barrie versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,663 in Barrie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Barrie. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.