Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maracay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maracay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $736 in Maracay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,252 in Maracay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,768 in Maracay, rent included.

Medellin costs about 123% more than Maracay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Maracay is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.91 VES 4,081

63.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.80 VES 27.2K

47.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.86 VES 6,531

19.85%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.70 VES 1,411

72.94%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.23 VES 1,018

51.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.16 VES 963

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.22 VES 1,011

163.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.08 VES 2,562

85.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.65 VES 2,203

-45.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.20 VES 1,830

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.99 VES 820

71.72%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.74 VES 2,273

5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.73 VES 5,589

49.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.76 VES 4,782

73.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.48 VES 7,040

67.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.25 VES 3,527

-6.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.96 VES 1,624

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.11 VES 1,755

1.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.25 VES 1,866

2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.30 VES 1,908

-13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.21 VES 1,837

-31.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.58 VES 1,315

-24.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$2.29 VES 1,899

-44.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.54 VES 2,109

51.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.04 VES 8,333

39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.16 VES 967

47.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.78 VES 1,477

53.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.48 VES 402

160.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$20.37 VES 16.9K

282.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.98 VES 2,478

-56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.68 VES 2,224

-19.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$10.11 VES 8,400

-18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.61 VES 507

122.95%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$25.5K VES 21.2M

7.80%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$38.5K VES 32.0M

-5.11%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$12.66 VES 10.5K

1232.70%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.83 VES 8,993

25.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$36.45 VES 30.3K

-22.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.99 VES 24.9K

52.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.81 VES 12.3K

16.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.05 VES 3,361

64.20%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$74.6 VES 61.9K

977.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,048 VES 5.0M

51.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$52.4 VES 43.5K

66.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$36.58 VES 30.4K

62.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$82.0 VES 68.1K

69.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$94.0 VES 78.0K

8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$225 VES 186.5K

376.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$108 VES 90.0K

502.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$555 VES 461.2K

246.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$270 VES 224.3K

287.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$454 VES 376.7K

808.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$200 VES 166.3K

747.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$209 VES 173.4K

213.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.5

-49.12%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maracay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $225 in Maracay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 214% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Maracay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $265 – making Maracay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 123% more than Maracay, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,104 in Maracay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $33.00 in Maracay. 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 Maracay, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Maracay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maracay costs $736 versus $1,641 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maracay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.