Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Punto Fijo

For one person, living is cheaper in Punto Fijo: $983 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Punto Fijo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Punto Fijo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $983 in Punto Fijo, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Punto Fijo $983

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,709 in Punto Fijo, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Punto Fijo $1,709

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,435 in Punto Fijo, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Punto Fijo $2,435

Medellin costs about 67% more than Punto Fijo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Punto Fijo is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$15.04 VES 13.3K

-46.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.7K

$79.5 VES 70.5K

-40.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.0K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,532

$2.28 VES 2,018

32.02%

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

$1.80 COP 5,688

$1.47 VES 1,303

22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,465

$0.68 VES 602

107.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.04 VES 1,810

55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$5.65 VES 5,013

1.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,774

$2.55 VES 2,261

-40.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,517

$2.55 VES 2,257

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,601

$3.57 VES 3,164

-50.42%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,138

$6.24 VES 5,533

-53.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$6.08 VES 5,394

67.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.98 VES 4,413

98.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.2K

$5.03 VES 4,458

178.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$8.08 VES 7,166

-50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,907

$4.88 VES 4,325

-68.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,901

$4.95 VES 4,392

-55.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,904

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,205

$5.86 VES 5,193

-66.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,025

$5.14 VES 4,557

-69.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,622

$3.08 VES 2,734

-62.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,930

$1.48 VES 1,314

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.05 VES 3,590

-2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,247

$1.95 VES 1,726

-14.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,139

$4.96 VES 4,400

-54.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,692

$1.27 VES 1,130

-7.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,009

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,474

$6.81 VES 6,037

-69.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$0.52 VES 460

159.62%

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

$34.1K COP 107.7M

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

$34.7K COP 109.6M

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

$170 COP 536.4K

$49.23 VES 43.7K

244.61%

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

$13.55 COP 42.8K

$10.03 VES 8,891

35.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.7K

$37.62 VES 33.4K

-25.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.2K

$39.86 VES 35.3K

9.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$197 VES 175.0K

303.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$3,627 VES 3.2M

151.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 267.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 426.7K

$35.35 VES 31.3K

281.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$392 VES 347.7K

208.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$298 VES 264.5K

115.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$797 VES 706.8K

154.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$601 VES 532.5K

68.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$196 VES 173.9K

235.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Punto Fijo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Punto Fijo

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Punto Fijo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Punto Fijo

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Punto Fijo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Punto Fijo

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Punto Fijo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Punto Fijo

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $392 in Punto Fijo. 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 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $79 in Punto Fijo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $316 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Punto Fijo

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

277,017

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 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 = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 887 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 989 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Punto Fijo 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
Punto Fijo

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 Punto Fijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,475 in Punto Fijo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Punto Fijo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $392 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $79 in Punto Fijo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $983 in Punto Fijo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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