Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maracaibo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maracaibo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $745 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,249 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,753 in Maracaibo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Maracaibo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$10.59 VES 7,784

-41.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$40.33 VES 29.6K

-19.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.79 VES 6,458

-16.50%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.75 VES 2,025

-37.45%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.15 VES 844

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.30 VES 956

-40.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.20 VES 1,614

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.03 VES 2,228

4.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.72 VES 1,266

-38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$2.01 VES 1,476

-35.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.11 VES 817

26.13%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$3.04 VES 2,236

-28.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.90 VES 4,335

-25.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.27 VES 3,874

11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.34 VES 4,657

36.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$4.31 VES 3,166

-47.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.37 VES 1,007

-18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.68 VES 1,238

-8.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.48 VES 1,084

-8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.17 VES 861

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.69 VES 1,241

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.99 VES 726

-14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.63 VES 1,202

-44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.44 VES 2,529

-31.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.27 VES 6,814

33.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.07 VES 783

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.65 VES 1,946

-6.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.49 VES 358

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$42.21 VES 31.0K

-3.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$3.90 VES 2,866

-63.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.96 VES 1,443

-2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$17.73 VES 13.0K

-56.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.52 VES 380

90.38%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$22.8K VES 16.8M

-20.99%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$31.2K VES 22.9M

-14.69%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$16.36 VES 12.0K

393.95%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$8.61 VES 6,328

15.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$25.41 VES 18.7K

-4.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$34.13 VES 25.1K

-26.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$23.62 VES 17.4K

-18.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.97 VES 3,650

-19.92%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$111 VES 81.7K

174.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$14.3K VES 10.5M

-57.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$41.23 VES 30.3K

40.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$41.87 VES 30.8K

-23.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$58.7 VES 43.1K

71.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$59.6 VES 43.8K

80.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$181 VES 132.7K

163.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$102 VES 75.1K

268.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$327 VES 240.4K

158.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$213 VES 156.3K

243.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$763 VES 561.2K

321.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$497 VES 365.6K

175.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$198 VES 145.8K

211.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

26.6

-49.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $181 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 211% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $220 per month, with Medellin 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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 211% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $181 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $111 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maracaibo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.