Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,582 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

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

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,582

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,582 per month in Arlington, VA vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Arlington, VA $3,582
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $5,415 per month in Arlington, VA vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Arlington, VA $5,415
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $7,249 per month in Arlington, VA vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Arlington, VA $7,249
Medellin $3,199

Arlington, VA costs about 120% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arlington, VA and Medellin sit above the global median – Arlington, VA by 164%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.99 $23.99

$8.30 COP 26.3K

189.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$46.91 COP 148.7K

114.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 $10.93

$9.24 COP 29.3K

18.29%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.05 COP 9,676

89.51%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.80 COP 5,707

65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.38 COP 4,382

76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.24 COP 10.3K

151.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$5.56 COP 17.6K

58.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.50 COP 4,760

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.37 COP 7,508

85.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$1.70 COP 5,377

206.47%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$2.96 COP 9,379

71.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.53 $21.53

$10.22 COP 32.4K

110.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$9.74 COP 30.9K

61.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.56 $22.56

$13.90 COP 44.1K

62.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.13 COP 13.1K

34.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.53 COP 4,839

22.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.22 COP 7,052

105.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.27 COP 7,194

153.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.99 COP 6,311

63.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.67 COP 5,285

124.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.18 COP 3,742

91.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.24 COP 3,919

96.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$3.87 COP 12.3K

151.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 $17.20

$13.78 COP 43.7K

24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.66 COP 5,256

70.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.40 COP 7,615

17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.24 COP 3,944

120.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 $121

$78.2 COP 248.0K

54.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.28 COP 4,044

207.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.15 COP 6,803

-43.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 $24.92

$8.37 COP 26.5K

197.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.35 COP 4,288

-22.22%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-16.10%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-25.97%

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

$162 $162

$167 COP 528.4K

-2.96%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$13.62 COP 43.2K

278.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$29.12 COP 92.3K

111.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 $71.4

$45.09 COP 143.0K

58.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 $19.14

$17.18 COP 54.5K

11.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.58 $16.58

$6.97 COP 22.1K

137.88%

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

$1,572 $1,572

$790 COP 2.5M

98.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K $35.5K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

293.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-37.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$58.2 COP 184.4K

6.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$139 COP 440.7K

-25.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$98.9 COP 313.5K

64.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,452 $2,452

$1,028 COP 3.3M

138.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$620 COP 2.0M

224.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,832 $4,832

$1,881 COP 6.0M

156.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,600 $3,600

$1,008 COP 3.2M

257.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,750 $5,750

$3,988 COP 12.6M

44.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,742 $4,742

$1,702 COP 5.4M

178.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,973 $6,973

$663 COP 2.1M

951.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.94

-37.93%

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

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, VA

$2K 56.1%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 69.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, VA

$504 14.1%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 40.9% $206

Eating Out

Arlington, VA

$374 10.4%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 54.3% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, VA

$275 7.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 23.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, VA

$173 4.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 0% $0.1

Getting Around

Arlington, VA

$142 4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 32.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, VA

$105 2.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 43.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,452 in Arlington, VA versus $1,028 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 run about 951% higher in Arlington, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Arlington, VA versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $504 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h behind Arlington, VA

🌤 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

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Arlington, VA Medellin 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Arlington, VA costs about 120% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,373 per month in Arlington, VA and $2,437 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Arlington, VA and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Arlington, VA at $3,582. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,625 versus $3,582 in Arlington, VA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arlington, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.