Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla de Margarita and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $654 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Isla de Margarita, Venezuela
Medellin, Colombia
Isla de Margarita
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$654
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $654 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Isla de Margarita $654
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Isla de Margarita $1,221
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Isla de Margarita $1,788
  • Medellin $3,249

Isla de Margarita is about 61% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Isla de Margarita sits 52% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.83 VES 8,778
$8.34 COP 26.9K
17.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.0 VES 72.3K
$46.53 COP 150.3K
74.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$9.47 COP 30.6K
-
Cappuccino
$2.55 VES 2,279
$3.13 COP 10.1K
-18.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 VES 875
$1.77 COP 5,704
-44.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 VES 1,317
$1.42 COP 4,600
3.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.98 VES 876
$3.15 COP 10.2K
-68.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 VES 2,715
$5.70 COP 18.4K
-46.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 VES 1,746
$1.53 COP 4,949
28.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.96 VES 2,640
$2.29 COP 7,399
29.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 VES 1,834
$1.94 COP 6,281
5.67%
Eggs
$2.45 VES 2,184
$3.07 COP 9,902
-20.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.93 VES 7,078
$9.99 COP 32.3K
-20.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.21 VES 7,326
$10.45 COP 33.7K
-21.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.05 VES 7,186
$13.96 COP 45.1K
-42.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.11 VES 3,669
$4.05 COP 13.1K
1.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 VES 1,350
$1.53 COP 4,936
-1.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 VES 1,775
$2.10 COP 6,795
-5.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 VES 2,276
$2.29 COP 7,407
11.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 VES 1,304
$2.11 COP 6,812
-30.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 VES 1,593
$1.71 COP 5,519
4.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 VES 908
$1.17 COP 3,779
-12.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 COP 5,102
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$3.91 COP 12.6K
-
Wine (Bottle)
$4.98 VES 4,445
$14.04 COP 45.4K
-64.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 VES 868
$1.76 COP 5,689
-44.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 VES 1,372
$2.71 COP 8,758
-43.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.18 COP 3,810
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.3 COP 246.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 VES 2,610
$1.81 COP 5,835
61.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.97 VES 2,648
$2.13 COP 6,876
39.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.13 COP 26.3K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.28 COP 4,118
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$34.4K COP 111.2M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$34.1K COP 110.2M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$29.62 VES 26.4K
$178 COP 573.9K
-83.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.73 VES 13.1K
$13.89 COP 44.8K
6.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.41 VES 36.1K
$30.74 COP 99.3K
31.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.69 VES 44.4K
$41.94 COP 135.4K
18.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.05 VES 13.4K
$16.80 COP 54.3K
-10.42%
Cinema Ticket
$4.99 VES 4,450
$7.47 COP 24.1K
-33.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$790 COP 2.6M
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$12.3K COP 39.7M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.7 VES 70.3K
$86.3 COP 278.8K
-8.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$59.3 COP 191.4K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 VES 90.2K
$138 COP 446.7K
-26.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.8 VES 89.1K
$98.8 COP 319.1K
0.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$296 VES 264.0K
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-77.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$667 COP 2.2M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$508 VES 453.9K
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-74.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$605 VES 540.3K
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-85.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Isla de Margarita
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
10.94
-

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

Last update for Isla de Margarita: 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
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$667
Groceries & Markets
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$307
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$222
Eating Out
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$173
Clothing & Footwear
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$172
Getting Around
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$93
Sport & Entertainment
Isla de Margarita
–
Medellin
$57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Isla de Margarita 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Isla de Margarita versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Isla de Margarita vs $307 in Medellin – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
12:37 12:37 PM
11:37 11:37 AM
1 h behind Isla de Margarita
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
90,387
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,003 VES (10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Isla de Margarita Medellin 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Isla de Margarita
  • 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
Isla de Margarita vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Isla de Margarita cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 159%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $982 per month in Isla de Margarita and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Isla de Margarita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $296 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
How do food prices compare in Isla de Margarita and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 30% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Isla de Margarita or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Isla de Margarita and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Isla de Margarita or in Medellin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isla de Margarita, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Isla de Margarita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Isla de Margarita or in Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $654 in Isla de Margarita to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Isla de Margarita vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?