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: $618 in Ibarra versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $957 in Ibarra versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,295 in Ibarra versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Ibarra costs roughly 40% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibarra 54% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 $2.95

$5.92 COP 21.2K

-50.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 $24.70

$33.17 COP 118.7K

-25.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 $5.81

$7.25 COP 25.9K

-19.86%

Cappuccino

$2.23 $2.23

$1.71 COP 6,137

30.41%

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

$0.76 $0.76

$1.09 COP 3,915

-30.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$0.77 COP 2,743

-41.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.75 COP 6,254

-44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.18 COP 11.4K

-38.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.06 COP 3,792

-11.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.30 COP 4,657

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.38 COP 4,926

22.46%

Eggs

$1.42 $1.42

$2.21 COP 7,908

-35.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.52 COP 16.2K

-38.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$5.80 COP 20.7K

-49.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$8.97 COP 32.1K

-32.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.29 COP 8,182

-32.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.06 COP 3,791

-39.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.51 COP 5,411

-28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.36 COP 4,869

-43.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 $0.43

$1.16 COP 4,146

-62.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.17 COP 4,174

-12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.83 COP 2,960

-31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.85 COP 3,043

18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.35 COP 8,423

161.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.15 COP 4,133

31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.47 COP 8,853

-40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 $0.43

$0.79 COP 2,827

-45.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.07 $5.07

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-87.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.44 COP 5,140

2.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.90 COP 6,793

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$7.70 COP 27.6K

-35.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 $0.61

$1.03 COP 3,680

-40.78%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

11.77%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-7.08%

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

$34.75 $34.75

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-57.32%

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

$14.32 $14.32

$9.42 COP 33.7K

52.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.52 $28.52

$23.77 COP 85.1K

19.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.77 $29.77

$25.86 COP 92.6K

15.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.26 $15.26

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-21.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 $4.10

$4.05 COP 14.5K

1.23%

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

$91.2 $91.2

$312 COP 1.1M

-70.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,676 $8,676

$6,067 COP 21.7M

43.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.90 $32.90

$32.82 COP 117.5K

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 $68.8

$100 COP 359.6K

-31.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$106 COP 380.3K

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 $185

$490 COP 1.8M

-62.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 $168

$371 COP 1.3M

-54.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 $247

$838 COP 3.0M

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 $246

$715 COP 2.6M

-65.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$746 $746

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-74.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$624 $624

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-55.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 $598

$532 COP 1.9M

12.32%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $185 in Ibarra and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Ibarra vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $142 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 67% 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 12% 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: $185 in Ibarra versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% 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 $618 in Ibarra versus $1,030 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 $618 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 67% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.