Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Porlamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Porlamar: $629 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Porlamar
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Porlamar Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Porlamar

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Porlamar

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $629 in Porlamar, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Porlamar $629

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,007 in Porlamar, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Porlamar $1,007

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,385 in Porlamar, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Porlamar $1,385

Medellin costs about 160% more than Porlamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Porlamar is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$4.43 VES 3,932

82.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$34.61 VES 30.7K

35.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.12 VES 8,085

4.17%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.78 VES 1,581

69.10%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.63 VES 1,442

10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.30 VES 1,151

8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.48 VES 1,313

114.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.91 VES 2,585

97.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.01 VES 897

49.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.01 VES 898

135.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.01 VES 898

75.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.97 VES 1,745

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$4.01 VES 3,560

154.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.93 VES 4,368

100.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$6.15 VES 5,456

127.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$4.10 VES 3,634

-3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.46 VES 1,293

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.47 VES 1,304

48.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.48 VES 1,311

47.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$1.52 VES 1,344

28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.97 VES 861

63.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.02 VES 904

21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.96 VES 1,739

102.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$6.18 VES 5,475

121.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.94 VES 1,723

16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.46 VES 411

154.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$14.98 VES 13.3K

416.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.28 VES 1,135

60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.48 VES 422

181.25%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$20.3K VES 18.0M

67.68%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$34.7K VES 30.7M

0.00%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$11.89 VES 10.5K

1326.83%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$7.67 VES 6,797

76.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$22.65 VES 20.1K

23.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$40.65 VES 36.0K

7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$12.74 VES 11.3K

34.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.41 VES 3,024

102.64%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$30.05 VES 26.6K

2551.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$30.10 VES 26.7K

181.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$45.52 VES 40.4K

27.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$60.7 VES 53.8K

122.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$75.3 VES 66.7K

30.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$202 VES 179.0K

498.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$147 VES 130.6K

335.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$335 VES 297.4K

504.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$196 VES 173.9K

416.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$406 VES 360.1K

926.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$152 VES 135.1K

1153.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$215 VES 190.8K

205.43%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Porlamar

$147 23.4% 77% $494

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Porlamar

$165 * 26.2% 44.5% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Porlamar

$42 6.7% 80% $169

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Porlamar

$109 17.3% 35.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Porlamar

$95 15.1% 43.7% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Porlamar

$23 * 3.7% 75.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Porlamar

$47 7.5% 17.5% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $202 in Porlamar. 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 $35 in Porlamar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $165 – making Porlamar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Porlamar

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

103,496

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 887 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Porlamar 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Porlamar

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 Porlamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 160%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $944 in Porlamar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Porlamar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $202 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Porlamar. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $629 in Porlamar. That makes Porlamar about 62% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Porlamar, where all-in costs run around $629, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Porlamar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Porlamar – 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 Porlamar. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.