Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto la Cruz and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto la Cruz: $745 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto la Cruz
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Puerto la Cruz Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Puerto la Cruz

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$745

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto la Cruz and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto la Cruz and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $745 per month in Puerto la Cruz vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto la Cruz $745
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,322 per month in Puerto la Cruz vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto la Cruz $1,322
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,899 per month in Puerto la Cruz vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto la Cruz $1,899
Medellin $3,186

Puerto la Cruz is about 55% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Puerto la Cruz sits 45% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 VES 8,937

$8.09 COP 25.4K

24.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 VES 53.9K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 VES 6,667

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-20.74%

Cappuccino

$3.59 VES 3,182

$3.01 COP 9,485

19.27%

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

$0.66 VES 587

$1.80 COP 5,660

-63.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 VES 426

$1.41 COP 4,443

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 VES 1,084

$3.18 COP 9,990

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 VES 1,368

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-73.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 VES 1,749

$1.51 COP 4,751

30.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 VES 1,079

$2.38 COP 7,480

-48.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 VES 1,095

$1.77 COP 5,573

-29.94%

Eggs

$2.35 VES 2,083

$2.89 COP 9,093

-18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 VES 6,145

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-31.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 VES 7,772

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 VES 9,734

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-21.44%

Apples (1kg)

$7.24 VES 6,410

$3.97 COP 12.5K

82.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 VES 1,135

$1.55 COP 4,883

-17.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 VES 429

$2.18 COP 6,867

-77.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 VES 2,008

$2.18 COP 6,870

4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 VES 1,966

$1.96 COP 6,174

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 VES 1,898

$1.59 COP 5,000

34.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,435

$1.15 COP 3,604

40.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 VES 1,452

$1.24 COP 3,911

32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 VES 3,605

$3.96 COP 12.5K

2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 VES 6,889

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-43.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 VES 865

$1.66 COP 5,221

-40.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 VES 1,341

$2.26 COP 7,103

-33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 VES 322

$1.17 COP 3,674

-69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.65 VES 27.2K

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-60.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 VES 2,581

$1.27 COP 3,989

129.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 VES 2,396

$2.05 COP 6,442

31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 VES 8,741

$8.55 COP 26.9K

15.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 462

$1.35 COP 4,237

-61.48%

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

$25.3K VES 22.4M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-25.75%

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

$39.0K VES 34.5M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

12.35%

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

$22.07 VES 19.6K

$170 COP 533.7K

-86.99%

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

$9.98 VES 8,845

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-26.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 VES 24.6K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 VES 27.1K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.36 VES 22.5K

$17.19 COP 54.1K

47.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 VES 4,325

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-29.38%

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

$60.8 VES 53.9K

$797 COP 2.5M

-92.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,941 VES 2.6M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-67.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.33 VES 42.8K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-42.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 VES 30.3K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-41.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.42 VES 40.2K

$135 COP 424.6K

-66.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.28 VES 41.9K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-51.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 VES 132.7K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-87.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.1 VES 85.2K

$642 COP 2.0M

-85.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 VES 275.5K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-84.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 VES 180.5K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-79.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$741 VES 656.7K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-82.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$372 VES 329.1K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-80.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 VES 203.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-65.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

37.11%

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

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puerto la Cruz

$262 35.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 13.5% $35

Eating Out

Puerto la Cruz

$160 21.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 5.9% $9.4

Accommodation & Living

Puerto la Cruz

$96 12.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 567% $545

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto la Cruz

$79 10.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 114% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto la Cruz

$60 8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 254% $152

Getting Around

Puerto la Cruz

$49 6.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 92.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto la Cruz

$40 5.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 42.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $150 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Puerto la Cruz versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Puerto la Cruz vs $297 in Medellin – so Puerto la Cruz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Puerto la Cruz

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

13:43 1:43 PM

1 h behind Puerto la Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

272,231

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

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).

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).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Puerto la Cruz Medellin 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto la Cruz
Medellin

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

Puerto la Cruz vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,118 per month in Puerto la Cruz and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto la Cruz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $150 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Puerto la Cruz and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $745 in Puerto la Cruz and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 120%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Puerto la Cruz, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Puerto la Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto la Cruz – 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 Puerto la Cruz. 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.