Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
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Maracay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Maracay

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 Maracay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $735 in Maracay, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Maracay $735

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,245 in Maracay, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Maracay $1,245

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,755 in Maracay, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Maracay $1,755

Medellin costs about 123% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Maracay is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$4.93 VES 4,366

64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$32.44 VES 28.7K

45.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.96 VES 7,056

19.35%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.62 VES 1,439

85.80%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.21 VES 1,069

48.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.19 VES 1,058

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.17 VES 1,035

171.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.96 VES 2,627

94.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.68 VES 2,371

-43.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.33 VES 2,066

2.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.03 VES 916

71.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.72 VES 2,411

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$6.55 VES 5,807

55.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$5.59 VES 4,951

76.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$8.14 VES 7,210

71.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$4.10 VES 3,636

-3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.05 VES 1,818

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.15 VES 1,903

1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.27 VES 2,013

-3.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.32 VES 2,053

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.19 VES 1,944

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.62 VES 1,433

-29.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.27 VES 2,015

-45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.52 VES 2,231

57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$9.88 VES 8,750

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.13 VES 1,001

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.72 VES 1,525

31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.48 VES 424

143.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$20.18 VES 17.9K

283.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.02 VES 2,675

-57.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$2.71 VES 2,398

-24.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$9.94 VES 8,808

-13.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.69 VES 610

95.65%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$25.0K VES 22.2M

36.16%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$39.3K VES 34.8M

-11.79%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$12.72 VES 11.3K

1233.73%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$11.71 VES 10.4K

15.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$38.69 VES 34.3K

-27.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$29.13 VES 25.8K

50.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$15.30 VES 13.6K

12.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$3.97 VES 3,516

74.06%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$75.3 VES 66.7K

957.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$5,991 VES 5.3M

52.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$52.4 VES 46.4K

61.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$36.03 VES 31.9K

60.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$82.4 VES 73.0K

63.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$95.0 VES 84.1K

3.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$221 VES 195.6K

447.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$108 VES 96.0K

492.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$571 VES 505.6K

255.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$274 VES 242.8K

269.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$445 VES 393.9K

837.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$198 VES 175.7K

863.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$209 VES 185.4K

214.06%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Maracay

$108 14.8% 83.1% $533

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Maracay

$264 35.9% 11.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Maracay

$63 8.6% 70.1% $148

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Maracay

$104 14.2% 38.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Maracay

$120 16.3% 29.2% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Maracay

$39 5.3% 58.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Maracay

$37 5% 35.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $221 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 in Medellin are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $32 in Maracay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $264 – making Maracay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Maracay

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

425,606

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Maracay 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Maracay

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 123% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,102 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $32 in Maracay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Maracay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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