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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $994 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,521 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,048 in Barnaul.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than Barnaul, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Barnaul 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$7.43 ₽539

-19.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$32.85 ₽2,380

1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.17 ₽374

39.85%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.89 ₽209

-43.60%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.26 ₽91.3

-13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.59 ₽42.73

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.86 ₽135

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.50 ₽181

29.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.04 ₽75.6

0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.47 ₽33.74

174.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.60 ₽116

-17.50%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.62 ₽117

40.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$10.95 ₽794

-60.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.99 ₽361

17.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.73 ₽705

-11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.01 ₽146

11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.85 ₽134

-42.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.99 ₽144

-23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.82 ₽204

-49.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.75 ₽54.5

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.63 ₽45.78

85.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.03 ₽74.7

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.48 ₽34.97

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.87 ₽208

-21.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$9.32 ₽675

18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.93 ₽67.7

22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.26 ₽91.3

88.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.53 ₽38.23

58.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$20.91 ₽1,515

100.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.87 ₽135

-24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.24 ₽17.47

691.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$3.00 ₽218

158.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.70 ₽50.6

44.29%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.8K ₽1.4M

-11.09%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.1K ₽2.0M

-2.10%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$104 ₽7,553

-19.72%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$5.51 ₽399

71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$8.35 ₽605

188.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$19.58 ₽1,419

29.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$7.74 ₽561

147.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.63 ₽408

-27.18%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$344 ₽24.9K

-9.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,935 ₽285.1K

52.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$59.2 ₽4,291

-1.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$32.16 ₽2,330

1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$69.1 ₽5,008

44.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$66.7 ₽4,830

62.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$546 ₽39.6K

-11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$388 ₽28.1K

-2.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,027 ₽74.4K

-18.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$704 ₽51.0K

2.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$621 ₽45.0K

-12.86%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $546 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnaul pays 15% 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 $33.00 in Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $197 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 Barnaul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 2% 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 15% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $546 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $994 in Barnaul – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 101% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $994 in Barnaul versus $1,017 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 $994 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.