Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Isla de Margarita

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $654 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,692

/mo nomad

Isla de Margarita

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Isla de Margarita

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 Isla de Margarita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $654 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Isla de Margarita $654

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,221 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Isla de Margarita $1,221

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,788 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Isla de Margarita $1,788

Medellin costs about 159% more than Isla de Margarita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Isla de Margarita is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$9.83 VES 8,778

-15.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$81.0 VES 72.3K

-42.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.55 VES 2,279

22.75%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.98 VES 875

80.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$1.47 VES 1,317

-3.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.98 VES 876

221.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.04 VES 2,715

87.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.96 VES 1,746

-21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$2.96 VES 2,640

-22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$2.05 VES 1,834

-5.37%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$2.45 VES 2,184

25.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$7.93 VES 7,078

25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$8.21 VES 7,326

27.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$8.05 VES 7,186

73.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.11 VES 3,669

-1.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.51 VES 1,350

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$1.99 VES 1,775

5.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$2.55 VES 2,276

-10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$1.46 VES 1,304

44.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$1.78 VES 1,593

-3.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$1.02 VES 908

14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$4.98 VES 4,445

181.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$0.97 VES 868

81.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$1.54 VES 1,372

75.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$2.92 VES 2,610

-38.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$2.97 VES 2,648

-28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$29.62 VES 26.4K

500.03%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$14.73 VES 13.1K

-5.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$40.41 VES 36.1K

-23.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$49.69 VES 44.4K

-15.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$15.05 VES 13.4K

11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$4.99 VES 4,450

49.70%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$78.7 VES 70.3K

9.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$101 VES 90.2K

36.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$99.8 VES 89.1K

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$296 VES 264.0K

353.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$508 VES 453.9K

288.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$605 VES 540.3K

577.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Isla de Margarita: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Isla de Margarita

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Isla de Margarita

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Isla de Margarita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Isla de Margarita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $296 in Isla de Margarita. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $81 in Isla de Margarita. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $236 in Isla de Margarita – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

90,387

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 VES = 11.2 USD

10,000 VES = 9.97 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,003 VES (10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Isla de Margarita 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
Isla de Margarita

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 Isla de Margarita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 159%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $982 in Isla de Margarita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isla de Margarita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $296 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $81 in Isla de Margarita. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isla de Margarita, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Isla de Margarita 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 $654 in Isla de Margarita to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.