Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Barranquilla: $1,500 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
Learn more

Barranquilla Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,500 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Barranquilla $1,500

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,308 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Barranquilla $2,308

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,115 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Barranquilla $3,115

Medellin costs about 8% more than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Barranquilla sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Barranquilla by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$9.26 COP 29.4K

-10.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$62.6 COP 198.6K

-25.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$13.96 COP 44.3K

-33.81%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.75 COP 8,728

10.91%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.35 COP 4,276

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.24 COP 3,947

11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.23 COP 10.3K

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$7.81 COP 24.8K

-28.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.87 COP 2,744

72.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.27 COP 4,032

86.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.55 COP 4,923

9.68%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.19 COP 6,953

35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.16 COP 16.4K

98.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$17.93 COP 56.9K

-45.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.03 COP 22.3K

97.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.24 COP 7,090

84.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.98 COP 3,106

56.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.61 COP 1,939

263.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.87 COP 5,919

21.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.24 COP 3,939

60.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.98 COP 3,111

70.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.27 COP 4,039

-7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.98 COP 3,092

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.19 COP 16.5K

-25.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$12.45 COP 39.5K

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.62 COP 5,122

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.67 COP 14.8K

-48.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.15 COP 3,646

7.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.43 COP 10.9K

-62.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$3.08 COP 9,752

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$15.98 COP 50.7K

-47.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.34 COP 4,254

0.75%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$35.2K COP 111.7M

-1.35%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$34.1K COP 108.2M

1.59%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$152 COP 483.4K

9.31%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$14.70 COP 46.6K

-7.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$32.00 COP 101.5K

-9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$33.89 COP 107.5K

33.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.81 COP 18.4K

19.97%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$315 COP 998.3K

150.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$4,780 COP 15.2M

89.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$115 COP 363.8K

-23.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$47.00 COP 149.0K

23.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$190 COP 603.5K

-26.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$249 COP 790.7K

-60.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$809 COP 2.6M

27.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$514 COP 1.6M

20.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$806 COP 2.6M

133.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$892 COP 2.8M

12.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,865 COP 5.9M

113.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$641 COP 2.0M

165.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$516 COP 1.6M

28.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Barranquilla

$514 34.3% 17% $105

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Barranquilla

$256 17.1% 14% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Barranquilla

$199 13.3% 4.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Barranquilla

$271 18% 56.7% $98

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Barranquilla

$191 12.7% 11.9% $20

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Barranquilla

$23 * 1.6% 75.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Barranquilla

$46 3% 22.9% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $809 in Barranquilla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $63.0 in Barranquilla. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $256 in Barranquilla – so Barranquilla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Barranquilla 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 8% more than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,251 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barranquilla, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,500 in Barranquilla. That's a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $315 in Barranquilla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Barranquilla, where all-in costs run around $1,500, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Barranquilla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Barranquilla costs $1,500 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Barranquilla. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.