Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibarra Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibarra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $618 in Ibarra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $957 in Ibarra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,295 in Ibarra.

Living in Medellin is roughly 67% more expensive than Ibarra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ibarra 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$2.95 $2.95

100.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$24.70 $24.70

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$5.81 $5.81

24.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$2.23 $2.23

-23.32%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.76 $0.76

43.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.45 $0.45

71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$0.98 $0.98

78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.95 $1.95

63.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$0.94 $0.94

12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.15 $1.15

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.69 $1.69

-18.34%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.42 $1.42

55.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$2.79 $2.79

62.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$2.93 $2.93

97.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$6.10 $6.10

47.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$1.54 $1.54

48.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$0.64 $0.64

65.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.08 $1.08

39.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$0.77 $0.77

76.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.43 $0.43

169.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.57 $0.57

45.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$1.01 $1.01

-15.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$6.14 $6.14

-61.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$9.86 $9.86

12.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.51 $1.51

-23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$1.47 $1.47

68.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.43 $0.43

83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$5.07 $5.07

725.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.47 $1.47

-2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.10 $1.10

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$4.95 $4.95

55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$0.61 $0.61

68.85%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$19.8K $19.8K

-10.53%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$25.1K $25.1K

7.62%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$34.75 $34.75

134.30%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$14.32 $14.32

-34.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$28.52 $28.52

-16.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$29.77 $29.77

-13.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$15.26 $15.26

26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.10 $4.10

-1.22%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$91.2 $91.2

242.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$8,676 $8,676

-30.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$56.5 $56.5

4.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$32.90 $32.90

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$68.8 $68.8

45.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$75.9 $75.9

40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$185 $185

164.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$168 $168

120.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$247 $247

239.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$246 $246

190.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$746 $746

295.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$624 $624

123.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$598 $598

-10.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.19

20.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ibarra: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $185 in Ibarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $25 in Ibarra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $142 per month, with Ibarra 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 Ibarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ibarra earns 12% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Medellin versus $185 in Ibarra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $618 in Ibarra versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibarra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $618 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibarra hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ibarra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.