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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $783 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,303 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,823 in Maracaibo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 110% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Maracaibo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.44 VES 8,665

-22.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$40.65 VES 33.8K

18.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.04 VES 7,510

4.20%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.67 VES 2,219

10.11%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.14 VES 944

63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$1.33 VES 1,106

9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$2.24 VES 1,858

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.92 VES 2,428

95.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.78 VES 1,476

-19.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$2.11 VES 1,750

13.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.03 VES 856

65.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$3.73 VES 3,101

-22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$6.70 VES 5,560

50.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.47 VES 5,370

54.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.47 VES 6,199

90.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.72 VES 3,916

-15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.37 VES 1,135

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.55 VES 1,290

38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.41 VES 1,174

63.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.23 VES 1,021

62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.75 VES 1,449

-13.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.98 VES 810

22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$2.03 VES 1,684

-36.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.97 VES 2,464

29.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.97 VES 7,447

56.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.09 VES 903

56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$2.61 VES 2,171

4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.43 VES 360

190.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$41.84 VES 34.7K

86.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$4.11 VES 3,416

-68.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$2.04 VES 1,692

6.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$17.34 VES 14.4K

-52.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$0.66 VES 546

106.06%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$14.9K VES 12.4M

84.42%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$28.5K VES 23.7M

28.27%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$63.0 VES 52.3K

167.81%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$7.31 VES 6,072

85.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$25.06 VES 20.8K

13.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$33.94 VES 28.2K

34.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$28.21 VES 23.4K

-38.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.07 VES 4,211

31.16%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$153 VES 127.0K

425.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,201 VES 6.0M

27.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$27.67 VES 23.0K

215.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$32.17 VES 26.7K

84.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$61.3 VES 50.9K

126.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$57.5 VES 47.8K

77.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$162 VES 134.8K

559.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$93.1 VES 77.3K

601.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$298 VES 247.4K

546.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$197 VES 163.4K

432.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$743 VES 616.6K

455.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$506 VES 420.6K

235.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$200 VES 166.3K

227.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $162 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 227% 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 $41.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $242 per month, with Maracaibo 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 227% 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 $162 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $153 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Maracaibo versus $1,641 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 110% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.