Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrigada and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,681 in Barrigada, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barrigada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Barrigada

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,681

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,681 in Barrigada versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Barrigada $2,681
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Barrigada versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Barrigada $3,466
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,252 in Barrigada versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Barrigada $4,252
Medellin $3,186

Living in Barrigada is roughly 64% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrigada 97% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$47.05 COP 151.9K

116.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.96 COP 12.8K

72.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.35 COP 4,349

7.41%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$409 $409

$170 COP 547.8K

140.80%

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

$98.5 $98.5

$13.55 COP 43.8K

627.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.2 $81.2

$28.07 COP 90.6K

189.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.1 $80.1

$43.70 COP 141.1K

83.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 $12.89

$6.91 COP 22.3K

86.54%

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

$707 $707

$797 COP 2.6M

-11.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 $2,385

$1,208 COP 3.9M

97.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 $1,986

$642 COP 2.1M

209.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$2,028 COP 6.5M

55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,845 $2,845

$1,012 COP 3.3M

181.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,731 $4,731

$657 COP 2.1M

619.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Barrigada: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Barrigada

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,385 in Barrigada and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrigada pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $102 in Barrigada vs $47 in Medellin for two.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Barrigada

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

15 h behind Barrigada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,875

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Barrigada Medellin 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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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

Barrigada vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Barrigada is about 7.2 times higher, 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: $2,385 in Barrigada versus $1,208 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 $102 in Barrigada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $707 in Barrigada versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,681 in Barrigada, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Barrigada. 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.

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