Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrington, IL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,652 in Barrington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barrington, IL, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Barrington, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,652
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,652 per month in Barrington, IL vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Barrington, IL $2,652
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,890 per month in Barrington, IL vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Barrington, IL $3,890
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,128 per month in Barrington, IL vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Barrington, IL $5,128
  • Medellin $3,249

Barrington, IL costs about 57% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barrington, IL and Medellin sit above the global median – Barrington, IL by 96%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.78 $19.78
$8.34 COP 27.0K
137.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.8 $75.8
$46.53 COP 150.9K
62.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 $11.28
$9.47 COP 30.7K
19.11%
Cappuccino
$5.17 $5.17
$3.13 COP 10.2K
65.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$1.77 COP 5,727
51.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.42 COP 4,619
43.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.93 $5.93
$3.15 COP 10.2K
88.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.36 $7.36
$5.70 COP 18.5K
29.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.53 COP 4,969
-23.53%
White Bread (500g)
$3.88 $3.88
$2.29 COP 7,429
69.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.94 COP 6,306
123.71%
Eggs
$4.37 $4.37
$3.07 COP 9,942
42.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.30 $15.30
$9.99 COP 32.4K
53.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.08 $11.08
$10.45 COP 33.9K
6.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.05 $17.05
$13.96 COP 45.3K
22.13%
Apples (1kg)
$5.98 $5.98
$4.05 COP 13.1K
47.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.53 COP 4,956
31.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.10 COP 6,823
99.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.08 $7.08
$2.29 COP 7,437
209.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.11 COP 6,839
30.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.71 COP 5,542
24.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.17 COP 3,794
58.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.58 COP 5,123
43.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.08 $10.08
$3.91 COP 12.7K
157.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.30 $17.30
$14.04 COP 45.5K
23.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.76 COP 5,712
1.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 $3.52
$2.71 COP 8,793
29.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.18 COP 3,825
67.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.7 $59.7
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-21.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.16 $3.16
$1.81 COP 5,859
74.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$2.13 COP 6,904
-28.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.15 $30.15
$8.13 COP 26.4K
270.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.28 COP 4,135
-5.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K $28.5K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-17.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-24.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$233 $233
$178 COP 576.3K
31.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$47.44 $47.44
$13.89 COP 45.0K
241.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.9 $60.9
$30.74 COP 99.7K
98.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.01 $40.01
$41.94 COP 136.0K
-4.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.95 $14.95
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-11.01%
Cinema Ticket
$14.27 $14.27
$7.47 COP 24.2K
91.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,476 $1,476
$790 COP 2.6M
86.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.5K $27.5K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
123.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 $53.9
$86.3 COP 279.9K
-37.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.99 $41.99
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-29.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 $89.1
$138 COP 448.6K
-35.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 $115
$98.8 COP 320.4K
16.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 $1,587
$1,341 COP 4.3M
18.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,282 $1,282
$667 COP 2.2M
92.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,554 $2,554
$1,976 COP 6.4M
29.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,122 $2,122
$1,033 COP 3.3M
105.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,346 $2,346
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-42.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,255 $2,255
$1,940 COP 6.3M
16.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barrington, IL
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,900 $5,900
$646 COP 2.1M
813.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
10.94
-39.76%

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

Last update for Barrington, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barrington, IL
$1.3K
Medellin
$667 48% $615
Groceries & Markets
Barrington, IL
$430
Medellin
$307 28.5% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barrington, IL
$341
Medellin
$222 34.9% $119
Eating Out
Barrington, IL
$317
Medellin
$173 45.6% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Barrington, IL
$135
Medellin
$172 27.6% $37
Getting Around
Barrington, IL
$78
Medellin
$93 19.1% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Barrington, IL
$69
Medellin
$57 17% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,587 in Barrington, IL versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Barrington, IL are about 9.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Barrington, IL versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Barrington, IL
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
17:55 5:55 PM
18:55 6:55 PM
1 h ahead of Barrington, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,772
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barrington, IL Medellin 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barrington, IL
  • 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
Barrington, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Barrington, IL or Medellin?
Barrington, IL costs about 57% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Barrington, IL and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,979 per month in Barrington, IL and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Barrington, IL or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,587 in Barrington, IL.
How expensive is transport in Barrington, IL compared to Medellin?
Public transport costs about 22% less in Barrington, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Barrington, IL and in Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $1,476 per month in Barrington, IL and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Barrington, IL or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Barrington, IL at $2,652. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barrington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Barrington, IL or to Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barrington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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