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: $2,544 in Barrie versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,542 in Barrie versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in Barrie versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Barrie is roughly 51% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 86% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.68 CA$20.53

$8.02 COP 25.0K

83.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 CA$79.7

$47.87 COP 149.4K

19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 CA$15.88

$9.89 COP 30.8K

14.76%

Cappuccino

$3.74 CA$5.23

$3.13 COP 9,767

19.49%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.91 COP 5,954

1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.51 COP 4,712

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 CA$7.21

$3.12 COP 9,747

65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$7.87

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.93

$1.44 COP 4,509

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.61

$2.49 COP 7,759

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.76

$1.77 COP 5,535

51.98%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.38

$2.96 COP 9,235

5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.13

$10.07 COP 31.4K

0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.64 CA$20.48

$10.12 COP 31.6K

44.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 CA$31.89

$14.30 COP 44.6K

59.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.64

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.61 COP 5,019

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$2.25 COP 7,007

42.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.65

$2.25 COP 7,028

79.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$2.04 COP 6,375

-45.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.54 COP 4,790

-11.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.11

$1.17 COP 3,651

89.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$1.31 COP 4,077

31.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 CA$16.23

$3.90 COP 12.2K

197.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.38

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$1.74 COP 5,439

43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.87 COP 8,956

-23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CA$3.49

$1.22 COP 3,792

104.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 CA$90.6

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-19.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.00

$1.31 COP 4,084

172.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 CA$1.53

$2.19 COP 6,825

-50.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.51

$1.37 COP 4,260

-21.17%

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

$29.0K CA$40.6K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

4.31%

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

$21.4K CA$29.9K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-40.29%

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

$236 CA$330

$177 COP 553.2K

32.96%

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

$36.33 CA$50.8

$13.88 COP 43.3K

161.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 CA$110

$29.72 COP 92.8K

163.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 CA$57.6

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-8.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.41 CA$49.53

$17.12 COP 53.4K

106.83%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 CA$18.03

$6.65 COP 20.7K

93.83%

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

$1,456 CA$2,037

$813 COP 2.5M

79.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 CA$89.4

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-28.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 CA$63.9

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CA$211

$138 COP 431.2K

9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 CA$119

$102 COP 318.7K

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 CA$2,039

$1,062 COP 3.3M

37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,798

$663 COP 2.1M

93.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 CA$2,926

$1,888 COP 5.9M

10.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CA$2,478

$1,027 COP 3.2M

72.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,084 CA$7,112

$4,183 COP 13.1M

21.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,301 CA$6,017

$1,675 COP 5.2M

156.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,093 CA$4,326

$678 COP 2.1M

356.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

10.94

-57.22%

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

Last update for Barrie: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,458 in Barrie and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 356% 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: $57.0 in Barrie vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $305 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,544 vs $1,681 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 356% higher in Barrie, 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: $1,458 in Barrie versus $1,062 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 24% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,456 in Barrie versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,544 in Barrie, a $2,500 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 51% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.