Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barnaul Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barnaul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $970 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,522 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,073 in Barnaul.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than Barnaul, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Barnaul 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$7.52 ₽565

-21.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$32.40 ₽2,433

1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.93 ₽370

46.04%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.78 ₽209

-38.85%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.28 ₽95.9

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.59 ₽44.18

22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.87 ₽140

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.60 ₽196

19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.09 ₽82.1

-2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.47 ₽35.27

165.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.69 ₽127

-17.75%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.65 ₽124

36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$10.85 ₽815

-60.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.19 ₽390

12.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.93 ₽746

-11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.06 ₽155

8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.87 ₽141

-42.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.93 ₽145

-20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$2.87 ₽216

-52.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.75 ₽56.3

50.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.66 ₽49.80

69.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.03 ₽77.1

-17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.48 ₽35.73

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.73 ₽205

-14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.30 ₽473

76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.92 ₽68.8

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.25 ₽93.9

89.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.52 ₽39.24

51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$20.37 ₽1,530

101.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.92 ₽144

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.24 ₽18.14

695.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.97 ₽223

170.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.76 ₽57.0

23.68%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.1K ₽1.5M

-10.87%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$26.8K ₽2.0M

0.00%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$104 ₽7,828

-19.44%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$5.42 ₽407

77.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$8.69 ₽653

178.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$20.05 ₽1,506

29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$7.49 ₽563

154.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.63 ₽423

-30.37%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$342 ₽25.7K

-10.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,899 ₽292.8K

51.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$58.6 ₽4,400

-1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$31.72 ₽2,382

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$69.0 ₽5,182

44.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$66.0 ₽4,954

62.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$532 ₽39.9K

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$375 ₽28.1K

-1.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,027 ₽77.2K

-19.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$714 ₽53.6K

0.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,140 ₽160.7K

36.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,806 ₽135.6K

-22.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$572 ₽42.9K

-4.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

15.03

-10.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $532 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnaul pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Barnaul. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $194, with Medellin 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 Barnaul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barnaul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Barnaul earns 5% less. 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: $487 in Medellin versus $532 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $970 in Barnaul – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 102% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $970 in Barnaul versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barnaul but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barnaul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barnaul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $970 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barnaul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Barnaul 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 Barnaul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.