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: $2,598 in Barrie versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,673 in Barrie versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,748 in Barrie versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Barrie is roughly 156% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barrie is 93% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 CA$20.65

$5.95 COP 20.8K

148.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 CA$104

$33.33 COP 116.3K

123.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 CA$14.45

$7.23 COP 25.2K

43.15%

Cappuccino

$3.36 CA$4.69

$1.63 COP 5,687

106.13%

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

$1.88 CA$2.62

$1.09 COP 3,821

72.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 CA$1.57

$0.73 COP 2,548

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.25 CA$8.73

$1.74 COP 6,065

259.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CA$8.38

$3.23 COP 11.3K

85.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$1.05 COP 3,662

170.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.08

$1.29 COP 4,515

126.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.69

$1.32 COP 4,617

209.09%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.39

$2.27 COP 7,927

38.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 CA$12.59

$4.35 COP 15.2K

107.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 CA$20.99

$5.88 COP 20.5K

155.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.87 CA$34.73

$8.61 COP 30.0K

188.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.05

$2.25 COP 7,844

60.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$1.07 COP 3,733

18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.12

$1.52 COP 5,322

94.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CA$6.97

$1.42 COP 4,964

251.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.17 COP 4,084

47.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.39

$1.17 COP 4,077

229.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 CA$3.92

$0.89 COP 3,096

215.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$0.90 COP 3,146

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 CA$16.29

$2.25 COP 7,837

418.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.35

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.14 COP 3,977

121.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.17

$2.38 COP 8,301

-4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.68

$0.84 COP 2,916

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 CA$92.0

$41.95 COP 146.4K

57.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.05

$1.41 COP 4,912

105.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 CA$2.96

$1.90 COP 6,634

11.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.81 CA$36.04

$7.75 COP 27.0K

233.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.54

$1.01 COP 3,509

8.91%

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

$24.5K CA$34.3K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

39.60%

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

$20.0K CA$28.0K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-24.44%

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

$200 CA$280

$83.7 COP 292.1K

139.45%

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

$42.82 CA$59.8

$9.45 COP 33.0K

353.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 CA$105

$24.11 COP 84.1K

211.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 CA$52.1

$25.31 COP 88.3K

47.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 CA$52.4

$19.14 COP 66.8K

95.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.26

$4.10 COP 14.3K

219.02%

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

$1,486 CA$2,075

$312 COP 1.1M

376.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

97.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 CA$101

$58.0 COP 202.6K

24.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$32.56 COP 113.6K

72.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CA$204

$99.6 COP 347.7K

46.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$109 COP 378.8K

6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 CA$2,006

$482 COP 1.7M

197.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 CA$1,847

$379 COP 1.3M

248.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 CA$3,058

$837 COP 2.9M

161.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CA$2,588

$723 COP 2.5M

156.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 CA$7,191

$2,840 COP 9.9M

81.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,402 CA$6,148

$1,223 COP 4.3M

259.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,051 CA$4,260

$541 COP 1.9M

464.06%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,437 in Barrie and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 464% 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: $74.0 in Barrie vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,598 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barrie pays 464% 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: $1,437 in Barrie versus $482 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 57% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,486 in Barrie versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,598 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 156% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.