Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acarigua Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Acarigua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $794 in Acarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,401 in Acarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,009 in Acarigua.

Living in Medellin is roughly 112% more expensive than in Acarigua, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Acarigua is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$10.89 VES 9,194

-26.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$68.1 VES 57.5K

-29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$11.11 VES 9,385

-10.98%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.70 VES 3,121

-15.41%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.49 VES 1,261

28.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.29 VES 1,089

17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.97 VES 1,662

58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.94 VES 2,487

95.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.68 VES 2,261

-46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.26 VES 1,908

10.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.81 VES 1,530

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.84 VES 4,085

-38.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.24 VES 8,643

-1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.18 VES 7,754

10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.50 VES 9,714

24.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$7.08 VES 5,978

-41.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.95 VES 1,647

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.11 VES 1,784

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.37 VES 2,003

-5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.39 VES 2,020

-14.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.17 VES 1,828

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.62 VES 1,366

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$2.31 VES 1,952

-43.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.56 VES 3,847

-14.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$11.90 VES 10.1K

17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.42 VES 1,201

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.14 VES 1,811

34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.13 VES 4,332

-74.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.76 VES 2,333

-20.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$15.26 VES 12.9K

-42.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.80 VES 678

71.25%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$25.3K VES 21.4M

9.96%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$37.6K VES 31.7M

-4.77%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$23.44 VES 19.8K

656.40%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.70 VES 9,880

18.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$36.09 VES 30.5K

-17.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$6.62 VES 5,592

0.45%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$160 VES 135.0K

408.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,027 VES 5.1M

52.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$73.5 VES 62.0K

21.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$46.52 VES 39.3K

26.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$125 VES 105.9K

10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$140 VES 118.0K

-26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$634 VES 534.9K

164.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-50.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Acarigua: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $68.0 in Acarigua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $335 per month, with Medellin 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

Medellin vs Acarigua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acarigua is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,191 in Acarigua to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $794 in Acarigua – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Acarigua versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Acarigua but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Acarigua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Acarigua is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Acarigua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.