Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barcelos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barcelos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,231 in Barcelos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,943 in Barcelos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,655 in Barcelos.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than in Barcelos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Barcelos is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$11.49 €9.96

-30.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$49.26 €42.69

-2.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$9.37 €8.12

5.55%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$1.92 €1.66

63.02%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$2.08 €1.80

-8.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$1.35 €1.17

11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$3.49 €3.03

-10.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.82 €2.44

103.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.13 €0.98

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.92 €1.67

29.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$1.81 €1.57

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$3.53 €3.06

-16.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$12.08 €10.47

-16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$7.91 €6.86

27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$14.88 €12.89

-3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$2.05 €1.77

101.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$1.47 €1.27

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$1.83 €1.58

22.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$2.50 €2.17

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$1.76 €1.52

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$1.89 €1.64

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$1.65 €1.43

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$1.00 €0.87

31.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$6.80 €5.89

-42.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$4.61 €3.99

203.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.26 €1.09

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$2.28 €1.98

25.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$2.35 €2.04

-48.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$23.11 €20.03

248.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$4.44 €3.85

-70.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$1.53 €1.32

43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$17.35 €15.04

-49.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$2.22 €1.92

-38.29%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$34.6K €29.9K

-19.45%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$39.3K €34.1K

-8.99%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$113 €98.1

56.57%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$18.43 €15.97

-24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$44.68 €38.72

-33.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$39.31 €34.07

14.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$6.98 €6.05

145.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$9.41 €8.15

-29.33%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$351 €304

131.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$6,587 €5,708

39.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$76.2 €66.0

17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$38.52 €33.38

53.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$82.3 €71.4

67.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$107 €92.8

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$526 €456

101.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$366 €317

81.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$934 €810

102.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$722 €625

42.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$2,760 €2,392

51.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,531 €1,326

9.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,116 €967

-39.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.7

195.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $526 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $49.00 in Barcelos. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $259, with Barcelos cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barcelos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Barcelos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $526 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,231 in Barcelos versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barcelos 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Barcelos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.