Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Guayana Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Guayana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $681 in Ciudad Guayana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,160 in Ciudad Guayana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,639 in Ciudad Guayana.

Living in Medellin is roughly 141% more expensive than in Ciudad Guayana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Ciudad Guayana is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.47 VES 7,864

-15.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$40.47 VES 33.6K

19.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$14.38 VES 11.9K

-34.49%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.43 VES 2,848

-14.29%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.47 VES 1,219

26.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.02 VES 847

43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$0.98 VES 812

227.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.04 VES 1,691

179.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.94 VES 1,607

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.99 VES 819

59.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.98 VES 817

119.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.06 VES 2,538

-24.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.98 VES 2,475

-49.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.01 VES 1,672

-40.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.53 VES 1,269

-16.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.91 VES 3,244

-1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.88 VES 731

94.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.06 VES 1,707

33.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.60 VES 502

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$30.49 VES 25.3K

155.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.52 VES 3,754

-71.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$4.07 VES 3,381

-46.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.51 VES 424

166.67%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$40.4K VES 33.5M

-31.93%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$68.7K VES 57.1M

-46.83%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$39.77 VES 33.0K

324.24%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$15.26 VES 12.7K

85.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$44.11 VES 36.6K

3.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$17.63 VES 14.6K

-2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.87 VES 6,533

-15.50%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$30.45 VES 25.3K

186.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$34.69 VES 28.8K

71.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$182 VES 151.0K

-23.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$98.5 VES 81.8K

3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$148 VES 122.8K

624.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$98.7 VES 81.9K

561.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$405 VES 336.4K

375.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$245 VES 203.8K

327.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$257 VES 213.4K

1504.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$128 VES 106.4K

1224.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$110 VES 91.6K

493.64%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Guayana: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $148 in Ciudad Guayana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 494% 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 $40.00 in Ciudad Guayana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $85.0 per month, with Ciudad Guayana cheaper across the board.

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 Ciudad Guayana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ciudad Guayana differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $681 including rent). Ciudad Guayana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 494% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $148 in Ciudad Guayana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Guayana – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Guayana runs roughly 155% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $681 in Ciudad Guayana versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Guayana but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Guayana 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 Ciudad Guayana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.