Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibarra and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibarra and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Ibarra versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $950 in Ibarra versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,276 in Ibarra versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ibarra costs roughly 39% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibarra 54% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-50.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.65 $24.65

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-26.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 $5.74

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-20.61%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

$1.63 COP 5,687

36.20%

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

$0.80 $0.80

$1.09 COP 3,821

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$0.73 COP 2,548

-38.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.74 COP 6,065

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-36.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.05 COP 3,662

-16.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.29 COP 4,515

-10.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.32 COP 4,617

25.76%

Eggs

$1.45 $1.45

$2.27 COP 7,927

-36.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.35 COP 15.2K

-35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-49.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-28.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.25 COP 7,844

-31.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$1.07 COP 3,733

-42.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.52 COP 5,322

-29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.42 COP 4,964

-45.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.17 COP 4,084

-62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.17 COP 4,077

-11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 $0.62

$0.89 COP 3,096

-30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.90 COP 3,146

17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.25 COP 7,837

160.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.14 COP 3,977

35.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.38 COP 8,301

-38.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.84 COP 2,916

-47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.99 $4.99

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-88.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.41 COP 4,912

8.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.90 COP 6,634

-42.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-35.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.01 COP 3,509

-34.65%

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

$20.1K $20.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

14.06%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-5.35%

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

$33.99 $33.99

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-59.38%

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

$14.00 $14.00

$9.45 COP 33.0K

48.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.62 $28.62

$24.11 COP 84.1K

18.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.96 $29.96

$25.31 COP 88.3K

18.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 $14.84

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 $4.11

$4.10 COP 14.3K

0.24%

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

$91.8 $91.8

$312 COP 1.1M

-70.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,686 $8,686

$5,993 COP 20.9M

44.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 $57.9

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.07 $33.07

$32.56 COP 113.6K

1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 $71.1

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 $74.4

$109 COP 378.8K

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 $183

$482 COP 1.7M

-61.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 $167

$379 COP 1.3M

-55.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 $246

$837 COP 2.9M

-70.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 $251

$723 COP 2.5M

-65.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$753 $753

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-73.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$624 $624

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-48.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$599 $599

$541 COP 1.9M

10.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.19

13.43

-16.68%

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

Last update for Ibarra: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Ibarra and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ibarra vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $190 per month, with Ibarra 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

Ibarra vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ibarra pays 11% 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: $183 in Ibarra versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Ibarra versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibarra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $623 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibarra hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ibarra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.