Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barquisimeto Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barquisimeto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $861 in Barquisimeto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,472 in Barquisimeto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,083 in Barquisimeto.

Living in Medellin is roughly 99% more expensive than in Barquisimeto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Barquisimeto is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$9.95 VES 8,078

-19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.0K

$49.50 VES 40.2K

-2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.6K

$11.52 VES 9,350

-15.19%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,107

$1.72 VES 1,393

69.19%

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

$1.94 COP 6,082

$1.52 VES 1,236

27.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,760

$1.15 VES 932

32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,676

$1.28 VES 1,038

141.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.0K

$3.36 VES 2,724

70.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,267

$2.98 VES 2,420

-54.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,470

$2.37 VES 1,921

0.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,321

$2.14 VES 1,734

-20.56%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,979

$3.27 VES 2,657

-12.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$7.85 VES 6,375

26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$9.03 VES 7,331

19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.1K

$10.65 VES 8,647

38.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$4.59 VES 3,730

-10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,917

$2.02 VES 1,637

-22.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,651

$0.74 VES 597

187.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,926

$0.92 VES 746

140.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,404

$0.95 VES 775

115.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,706

$1.35 VES 1,095

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,723

$0.65 VES 529

83.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,623

$1.61 VES 1,309

-27.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.92 VES 2,368

33.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.2K

$11.82 VES 9,590

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,955

$1.25 VES 1,018

26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,847

$2.81 VES 2,284

0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,655

$0.40 VES 324

192.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

$39.68 VES 32.2K

95.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,019

$4.96 VES 4,026

-74.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,546

$2.54 VES 2,063

-17.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.0K

$15.22 VES 12.4K

-43.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,061

$0.75 VES 611

73.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.5M

$25.1K VES 20.4M

10.07%

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

$35.5K COP 111.1M

$31.3K VES 25.4M

13.42%

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

$176 COP 550.9K

$15.36 VES 12.5K

1046.29%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$7.87 VES 6,386

69.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.5K

$36.72 VES 29.8K

-18.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.0K

$33.48 VES 27.2K

33.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

$8.72 VES 7,081

95.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.05 VES 4,100

22.77%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$56.4 VES 45.8K

1307.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$494 VES 401.1K

1725.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.8K

$46.83 VES 38.0K

82.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.9K

$39.74 VES 32.3K

47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 426.4K

$103 VES 83.5K

32.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.6K

$81.5 VES 66.1K

26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$213 VES 173.2K

396.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$142 VES 115.3K

378.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$464 VES 376.7K

333.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$322 VES 261.2K

263.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$474 VES 384.4K

768.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$253 VES 205.4K

572.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$185 VES 150.6K

258.66%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barquisimeto: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $213 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 259% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $49.00 in Barquisimeto. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $281, with Barquisimeto 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 Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Barquisimeto differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $861 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 259% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $213 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barquisimeto – 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.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $861 in Barquisimeto – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Barquisimeto versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 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.

Expats usually find Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.