Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barquisimeto

For one person, living is cheaper in Barquisimeto: $793 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Barquisimeto
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Barquisimeto Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Barquisimeto

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Barquisimeto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Barquisimeto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $793 in Barquisimeto.

Medellin $1,692
Barquisimeto $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,355 in Barquisimeto.

Medellin $2,471
Barquisimeto $1,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,917 in Barquisimeto.

Medellin $3,249
Barquisimeto $1,917

Living in Medellin is roughly 113% more expensive than in Barquisimeto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Barquisimeto is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$9.81 VES 8,757

-14.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$49.18 VES 43.9K

-5.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$11.69 VES 10.4K

-18.99%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.72 VES 1,540

81.98%

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

$1.77 COP 5,704

$1.54 VES 1,371

14.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,600

$1.13 VES 1,011

25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.22 VES 1,092

158.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.27 VES 2,923

74.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,949

$2.06 VES 1,838

-25.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,399

$1.32 VES 1,181

73.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,281

$1.31 VES 1,173

48.09%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,902

$2.19 VES 1,950

40.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$6.19 VES 5,527

61.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.73 VES 6,008

55.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$6.89 VES 6,155

102.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.42 VES 3,949

-8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,936

$1.53 VES 1,370

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,795

$0.78 VES 694

169.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,407

$0.97 VES 865

136.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,812

$0.94 VES 841

124.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,519

$1.32 VES 1,177

29.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,779

$0.64 VES 575

82.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,102

$1.52 VES 1,361

3.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.94 VES 2,621

32.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$10.02 VES 8,949

40.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,689

$1.25 VES 1,117

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,758

$2.75 VES 2,451

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,810

$0.43 VES 384

174.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$40.79 VES 36.4K

87.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,835

$4.99 VES 4,452

-63.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,876

$1.53 VES 1,366

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$14.95 VES 13.3K

-45.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,118

$0.73 VES 654

75.34%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$25.3K VES 22.6M

35.98%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$30.2K VES 27.0M

12.84%

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

$178 COP 573.9K

$15.56 VES 13.9K

1042.22%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$7.51 VES 6,702

84.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$36.87 VES 32.9K

-16.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$33.58 VES 30.0K

24.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$8.39 VES 7,491

100.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.05 VES 4,509

47.92%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$57.5 VES 51.3K

1273.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$502 VES 448.2K

2349.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.8K

$47.24 VES 42.2K

82.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$39.90 VES 35.6K

48.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.7K

$92.9 VES 82.9K

48.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.1K

$80.1 VES 71.5K

23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$212 VES 189.3K

532.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$142 VES 126.3K

371.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$473 VES 421.9K

317.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$322 VES 287.3K

220.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$464 VES 414.0K

783.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$248 VES 221.4K

682.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$185 VES 165.2K

249.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-56.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barquisimeto: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Barquisimeto

$142 17.8% 78.8% $526

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Barquisimeto

$218 27.5% 29% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Barquisimeto

$60 7.6% 73% $162

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Barquisimeto

$158 19.9% 8.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Barquisimeto

$117 14.8% 32% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Barquisimeto

$55 7% 41% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Barquisimeto

$44 5.5% 23.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $212 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $49 in Barquisimeto. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $218, with Barquisimeto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Barquisimeto

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,240,714

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.12 USD

1,000 VES = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,609 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 998 VES (1,000 VES = 1 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Barquisimeto 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Barquisimeto

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

Medellin vs Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $793 in Barquisimeto, so Barquisimeto is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $212 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $49 in Barquisimeto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $793 in Barquisimeto – Barquisimeto is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $793 in Barquisimeto versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Barquisimeto wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.