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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $623 in Ibarra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $950 in Ibarra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,276 in Ibarra.

Living in Medellin is roughly 63% more expensive than Ibarra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ibarra 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.94 $2.94

102.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$24.65 $24.65

35.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.74 $5.74

25.96%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.22 $2.22

-26.58%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.80 $0.80

36.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.45 $0.45

62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.02 $1.02

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.04 $2.04

58.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.88 $0.88

19.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.16 $1.16

11.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.66 $1.66

-20.48%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.45 $1.45

56.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$2.81 $2.81

54.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.99 $2.99

96.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.16 $6.16

39.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.54 $1.54

46.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.61 $0.61

75.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.07 $1.07

42.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.77 $0.77

84.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.44 $0.44

165.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.62 $0.62

43.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.06 $1.06

-15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$5.85 $5.85

-61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.93 $7.93

39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.54 $1.54

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.46 $1.46

63.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.44 $0.44

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$4.99 $4.99

740.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.53 $1.53

-7.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.09 $1.09

74.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.03 $5.03

54.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.66 $0.66

53.03%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$20.1K $20.1K

-12.33%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$25.1K $25.1K

5.65%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$33.99 $33.99

146.19%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$14.00 $14.00

-32.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$28.62 $28.62

-15.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$29.96 $29.96

-15.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$14.84 $14.84

28.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.11 $4.11

-0.24%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$91.8 $91.8

239.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,686 $8,686

-31.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$57.9 $57.9

0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$33.07 $33.07

-1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$71.1 $71.1

40.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$74.4 $74.4

45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$183 $183

162.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$167 $167

126.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$246 $246

240.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$251 $251

188.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$753 $753

277.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$624 $624

96.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$599 $599

-9.74%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ibarra: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $183 in Ibarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Ibarra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $139 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 63% 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 11% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $183 in Ibarra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% 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 $623 in Ibarra versus $1,017 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 $623 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 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.