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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $734 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,244 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,754 in Maracaibo.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Maracaibo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.37 VES 5,777

-42.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$39.97 VES 22.3K

-17.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.82 VES 4,915

-19.61%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.65 VES 1,476

-35.47%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.20 VES 671

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.30 VES 724

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.32 VES 1,290

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.95 VES 1,643

4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.79 VES 996

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.94 VES 1,080

-35.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.09 VES 607

26.61%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.19 VES 1,775

-31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.95 VES 3,318

-26.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.39 VES 3,003

4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.08 VES 3,386

46.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$4.51 VES 2,513

-48.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.38 VES 769

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.71 VES 954

-12.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.47 VES 820

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.16 VES 649

-0.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.62 VES 905

-28.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.01 VES 564

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.60 VES 889

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.43 VES 1,914

-33.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.97 VES 4,997

18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.06 VES 591

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.64 VES 1,473

-6.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.51 VES 287

68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$41.83 VES 23.3K

-1.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$4.11 VES 2,290

-64.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.95 VES 1,087

0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$17.77 VES 9,900

-56.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.48 VES 269

97.92%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$22.2K VES 12.4M

-18.33%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$31.0K VES 17.3M

-14.58%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$16.22 VES 9,038

407.09%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$9.02 VES 5,028

5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$25.85 VES 14.4K

-6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$34.34 VES 19.1K

-24.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$23.43 VES 13.1K

-18.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.04 VES 2,807

-22.02%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$112 VES 62.5K

175.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$13.9K VES 7.8M

-57.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$41.75 VES 23.3K

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$42.17 VES 23.5K

-23.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$57.8 VES 32.2K

77.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$60.3 VES 33.6K

79.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$180 VES 100.5K

164.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$101 VES 56.0K

276.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$330 VES 183.7K

154.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$209 VES 116.6K

246.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$759 VES 423.0K

267.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$502 VES 279.5K

141.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$196 VES 109.5K

160.50%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $180 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 161% 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 $188 vs $221 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. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 161% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $180 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $112 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $734 in Maracaibo versus $1,013 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.