Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,603 in Baltimore, MD, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,603 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Baltimore, MD $2,603
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,940 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Baltimore, MD $3,940
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,277 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Baltimore, MD $5,277
Medellin $3,186

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 59% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 91% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$8.09 COP 26.1K

121.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$47.05 COP 151.9K

100.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 $10.58

$9.50 COP 30.7K

11.37%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$3.01 COP 9,735

72.76%

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

$3.45 $3.45

$1.80 COP 5,809

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.41 COP 4,561

84.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.18 COP 10.3K

117.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.75 COP 18.6K

40.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.51 COP 4,876

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.38 COP 7,678

73.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$1.77 COP 5,720

140.11%

Eggs

$5.04 $5.04

$2.89 COP 9,333

74.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$10.19 COP 32.9K

23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$9.87 COP 31.9K

30.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.12 $18.12

$13.99 COP 45.2K

29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.97 COP 12.8K

48.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.55 COP 5,012

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.18 COP 7,048

159.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.18 COP 7,051

120.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.96 COP 6,337

38.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.59 COP 5,132

80.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.15 COP 3,699

105.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.24 COP 4,014

82.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 $13.27

$3.96 COP 12.8K

235.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 $15.80

$13.68 COP 44.2K

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.66 COP 5,359

60.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.26 COP 7,291

69.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.17 COP 3,771

76.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 $77.6

$77.4 COP 249.8K

0.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.27 COP 4,094

38.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.05 COP 6,612

-32.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 $23.89

$8.55 COP 27.6K

179.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.35 COP 4,349

-20.74%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

1.33%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-23.30%

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

$217 $217

$170 COP 547.8K

28.08%

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

$68.1 $68.1

$13.55 COP 43.8K

402.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 $88.8

$28.07 COP 90.6K

216.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 $47.25

$43.70 COP 141.1K

8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.67 $47.67

$17.19 COP 55.5K

177.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$6.91 COP 22.3K

116.35%

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

$1,934 $1,934

$797 COP 2.6M

142.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

284.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-37.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 $62.1

$58.0 COP 187.2K

7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$135 COP 435.8K

-30.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$97.9 COP 316.0K

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$1,208 COP 3.9M

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 $1,165

$642 COP 2.1M

81.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$2,028 COP 6.5M

7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 $2,026

$1,012 COP 3.3M

100.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 $2,404

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-42.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,214 $2,214

$1,910 COP 6.2M

15.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 $4,375

$657 COP 2.1M

565.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

10.94

-38.57%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 45% $524

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 31.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 43.5% $163

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$312 12%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 45.7% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 17.1% $25

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$77 3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 25.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,735 in Baltimore, MD and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays about 6.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $95 in Baltimore, MD vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $435 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

Same time as Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baltimore, MD Medellin 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Baltimore, MD
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

Baltimore, MD vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Baltimore, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Baltimore, MD is about 6.7 times higher, 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: $1,735 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Baltimore, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,603 per month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,603 in Baltimore, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Baltimore, MD. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Baltimore, MD on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.