Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Medellin $3,190

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 51% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, TX 81% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$7.93 COP 25.2K

157.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$46.13 COP 146.3K

19.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$9.50 COP 30.1K

6.42%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$3.11 COP 9,866

56.27%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.83 COP 5,800

39.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.38 COP 4,360

65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.05 COP 9,672

76.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$5.50 COP 17.4K

21.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.45 COP 4,600

-46.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.36 COP 7,496

54.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.68 COP 5,328

213.10%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$2.86 COP 9,077

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$10.19 COP 32.3K

4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$9.53 COP 30.2K

37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$14.04 COP 44.5K

28.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.07 COP 12.9K

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.50 COP 4,742

77.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.17 COP 6,891

135.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.31 COP 7,310

74.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.93 COP 6,113

31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.64 COP 5,196

81.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.13 COP 3,571

68.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.25 COP 3,954

64.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$3.99 COP 12.6K

138.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.70 COP 5,384

18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.37 COP 7,525

41.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$1.21 COP 3,827

403.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-47.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.32 COP 4,179

121.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.14 COP 6,774

-20.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$8.47 COP 26.8K

181.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 COP 4,114

-27.69%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

27.89%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.37%

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

$211 $211

$172 COP 545.6K

22.58%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$13.37 COP 42.4K

396.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$28.73 COP 91.1K

123.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$6.28 COP 19.9K

134.71%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$770 COP 2.4M

72.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

214.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$137 COP 432.9K

-37.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$97.9 COP 310.4K

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$1,055 COP 3.3M

45.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$616 COP 2.0M

80.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,892 COP 6.0M

33.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$1,023 COP 3.2M

98.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-46.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$1,678 COP 5.3M

32.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$652 COP 2.1M

466.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

10.94

-40.49%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 44.6% $496

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 25% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 37.3% $127

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 45.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 26.5% $36

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 22.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 17.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 467% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

Same time as Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Arlington, TX Medellin 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Arlington, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 467% higher in Arlington, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 89% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,614 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.