Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cabimas

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabimas: $118 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cabimas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cabimas

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $118 in Cabimas, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Cabimas $118

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $195 in Cabimas, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Cabimas $195

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $272 in Cabimas, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Cabimas $272

Medellin costs about 1284% more than Cabimas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Cabimas is 91% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.08 VES 963

120.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$2.23 VES 1,976

-20.63%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$1.17 VES 1,038

147.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$2.19 VES 1,942

365.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$2.14 VES 1,899

553.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.17 VES 1,928

82.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$2.24 VES 1,991

-30.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$2.22 VES 1,968

-1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.25 VES 2,000

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$2.23 VES 1,981

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$2.19 VES 1,943

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.01 VES 899

13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$1.01 VES 899

22.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$1.44 VES 1,279

15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$1.03 VES 913

119.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.5K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cabimas: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cabimas

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cabimas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cabimas

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cabimas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cabimas

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cabimas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cabimas

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Cabimas

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

01:47 1:47 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

299,108

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 887 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 995 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cabimas 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cabimas

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 Cabimas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 1284% more than Cabimas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $178 in Cabimas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $118 in Cabimas. That makes Cabimas about 93% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Cabimas, where all-in costs run around $118, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Cabimas 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 $118 in Cabimas to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.