Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allentown, PA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Allentown, PA
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Allentown, PA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Allentown, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,765

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Allentown, PA 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 Allentown, PA and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,765 per month in Allentown, PA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Allentown, PA $2,765
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,896 per month in Allentown, PA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Allentown, PA $3,896
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,027 per month in Allentown, PA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Allentown, PA $5,027
Medellin $3,186

Allentown, PA costs about 69% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Allentown, PA and Medellin sit above the global median – Allentown, PA by 103%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$8.09 COP 25.4K

144.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.8 $91.8

$47.05 COP 148.0K

95.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$9.50 COP 29.9K

28.74%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.01 COP 9,485

86.05%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.80 COP 5,660

45.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.41 COP 4,443

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.18 COP 9,990

54.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$5.75 COP 18.1K

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.51 COP 4,751

-21.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.38 COP 7,480

-11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.77 COP 5,573

37.29%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$2.89 COP 9,093

26.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 $15.62

$10.19 COP 32.1K

53.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 $8.37

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-15.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$13.99 COP 44.0K

35.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 $6.78

$3.97 COP 12.5K

70.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.55 COP 4,883

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.18 COP 6,867

31.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.18 COP 6,870

205.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.96 COP 6,174

36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.59 COP 5,000

107.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.15 COP 3,604

93.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.24 COP 3,911

104.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.71 $11.71

$3.96 COP 12.5K

195.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$13.68 COP 43.0K

7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.66 COP 5,221

40.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.26 COP 7,103

19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.17 COP 3,674

117.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-21.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.27 COP 3,989

131.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.05 COP 6,442

7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 $41.24

$8.55 COP 26.9K

382.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.35 COP 4,237

-18.52%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-20.10%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-23.62%

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

$188 $188

$170 COP 533.7K

10.85%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$13.55 COP 42.6K

300.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$28.07 COP 88.3K

151.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-30.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.42 $25.42

$17.19 COP 54.1K

47.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 $13.03

$6.91 COP 21.7K

88.57%

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

$1,204 $1,204

$797 COP 2.5M

51.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

29.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.88 $37.88

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-55.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 $51.3

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$135 COP 424.6K

-33.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$97.9 COP 307.9K

20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$1,208 COP 3.8M

38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$642 COP 2.0M

129.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 $2,481

$2,028 COP 6.4M

22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 $2,048

$1,012 COP 3.2M

102.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,166 $2,166

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-48.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 $1,905

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-0.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 $3,074

$657 COP 2.1M

367.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

10.94

-41.22%

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

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Allentown, PA

$1.5K 53.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 56.4% $828

Groceries & Markets

Allentown, PA

$392 14.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 24.2% $95

Eating Out

Allentown, PA

$315 11.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 46.2% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Allentown, PA

$313 11.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 32.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Allentown, PA

$134 4.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 26.5% $35

Getting Around

Allentown, PA

$85 3.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 9.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Allentown, PA

$56 2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 2.3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Allentown, PA 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 Allentown, PA are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Allentown, PA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Allentown, PA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

1 h behind Allentown, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,443

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 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).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Allentown, PA Medellin 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Allentown, PA
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

Allentown, PA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Allentown, PA costs about 69% more than Medellin, 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 $4,147 per month in Allentown, PA 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,668 in Allentown, PA.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Allentown, PA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,204 per month in Allentown, PA and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Allentown, PA at $2,765. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Allentown, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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