Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,338 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,338 per month in Caracas vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Caracas $1,338
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,235 per month in Caracas vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Caracas $2,235
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,133 per month in Caracas vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Caracas $3,133
Medellin $3,199

Caracas is about 18% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Caracas sits 1% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 VES 9,642

$8.30 COP 26.3K

32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 VES 58.9K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

42.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 VES 9,796

$9.24 COP 29.3K

20.78%

Cappuccino

$3.55 VES 3,114

$3.05 COP 9,676

16.39%

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

$1.52 VES 1,332

$1.80 COP 5,707

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 1,144

$1.38 COP 4,382

-5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 VES 1,805

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 VES 2,680

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-45.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 VES 2,313

$1.50 COP 4,760

76.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 VES 2,032

$2.37 COP 7,508

-2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 VES 1,624

$1.70 COP 5,377

8.82%

Eggs

$4.64 VES 4,076

$2.96 COP 9,379

56.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 VES 9,083

$10.22 COP 32.4K

1.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 VES 8,074

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 VES 10.2K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 VES 6,525

$4.13 COP 13.1K

79.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 VES 1,794

$1.53 COP 4,839

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 VES 1,931

$2.22 COP 7,052

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 VES 2,087

$2.27 COP 7,194

4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,965

$1.99 COP 6,311

12.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 VES 1,958

$1.67 COP 5,285

33.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,424

$1.18 COP 3,742

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 VES 2,119

$1.24 COP 3,919

94.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.71 VES 4,132

$3.87 COP 12.3K

21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 VES 10.4K

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 VES 1,246

$1.66 COP 5,256

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 VES 1,839

$2.40 COP 7,615

-12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 448

$1.24 COP 3,944

-58.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.43 VES 26.7K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-61.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 VES 4,459

$1.28 COP 4,044

296.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 VES 2,483

$2.15 COP 6,803

31.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 VES 13.0K

$8.37 COP 26.5K

76.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 VES 772

$1.35 COP 4,288

-34.81%

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

$24.7K VES 21.7M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-28.87%

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

$39.7K VES 34.8M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

14.34%

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

$21.94 VES 19.3K

$167 COP 528.4K

-86.83%

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

$11.99 VES 10.5K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-11.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.39 VES 32.8K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

28.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 VES 57.8K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

46.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.83 VES 15.7K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

3.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 VES 5,735

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-6.31%

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

$158 VES 138.4K

$790 COP 2.5M

-80.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,066 VES 5.3M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-32.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 VES 71.6K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-7.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 VES 45.0K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 VES 119.2K

$139 COP 440.7K

-2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 VES 115.2K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 VES 529.9K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 VES 373.1K

$620 COP 2.0M

-31.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 VES 968.0K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-41.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 VES 755.7K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-14.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,464 VES 1.3M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-63.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 VES 599.8K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-59.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 VES 266.1K

$663 COP 2.1M

-54.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

101.10%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caracas

$425 31.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 45.7% $194

Groceries & Markets

Caracas

$339 25.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 12.1% $41

Eating Out

Caracas

$192 14.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 10.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Caracas

$180 13.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 4% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Caracas

$79 5.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 25.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caracas

$71 5.3%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 194% $138

Getting Around

Caracas

$52 3.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 84.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $604 in Caracas versus $1,028 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 run about 119% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Caracas versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Caracas

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

1 h behind Caracas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,274,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caracas Medellin 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Caracas
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

Caracas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,006 per month in Caracas and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 157% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $158 per month in Caracas and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Caracas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.