Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barretos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barretos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $831 in Barretos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,326 in Barretos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,822 in Barretos, rent included.

Medellin costs about 97% more than Barretos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Barretos is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.78 R$34.77

18.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$22.71 R$116

112.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.87 R$30.07

60.48%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.51 R$7.73

94.70%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.28 R$6.58

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.60 R$3.08

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.37 R$12.17

35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.82 R$14.43

102.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.05 R$5.40

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.10 R$10.76

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.34 R$6.86

26.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.63 R$13.48

9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.33 R$58.1

-11.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.73 R$24.25

110.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.44 R$53.5

36.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.37 R$12.16

67.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.72 R$8.83

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.54 R$7.91

39.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.49 R$7.61

54.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.28 R$6.58

56.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.16 R$5.95

30.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.93 R$4.78

29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.80 R$4.11

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.34 R$12.00

64.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.94 R$40.72

76.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.47 R$7.53

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.43 R$12.44

12.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.93 R$4.76

34.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$41.69 R$214

86.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.14 R$5.84

14.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.75 R$3.87

189.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$8.48 R$43.47

-2.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.93 R$4.79

46.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$23.1K R$118.3K

19.00%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$31.9K R$163.5K

14.57%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$28.95 R$148

482.80%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$5.65 R$28.98

140.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$15.55 R$79.7

82.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$24.17 R$124

89.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$26.15 R$134

-34.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.90 R$40.49

-15.82%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$429 R$2,201

87.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,957 R$51.0K

-7.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$65.0 R$333

34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$23.11 R$118

156.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$93.3 R$478

48.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$67.0 R$344

52.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$348 R$1,786

207.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$234 R$1,199

179.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$632 R$3,241

204.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$443 R$2,272

136.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,603 R$8,218

157.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,143 R$5,859

48.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$554 R$2,842

18.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.81

1.20%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Barretos: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $348 in Barretos. 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 18% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Barretos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $220 – making Barretos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Barretos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $831 in Barretos – roughly 97% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,247 in Barretos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Barretos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $831 in Barretos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $831, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Barretos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $831 in Barretos to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barretos. 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.