Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air, MD and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,662 in Bel Air, MD, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Bel Air, MD
Learn more

Bel Air, MD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Bel Air, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,662

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Bel Air, MD vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Bel Air, MD $2,662
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,745 per month in Bel Air, MD vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Bel Air, MD $3,745
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,829 per month in Bel Air, MD vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Bel Air, MD $4,829
Medellin $3,186

Bel Air, MD costs about 62% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bel Air, MD and Medellin sit above the global median – Bel Air, MD by 96%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.04 $16.04

$8.09 COP 26.1K

98.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 $68.3

$47.05 COP 151.9K

45.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$9.50 COP 30.7K

4.32%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$3.01 COP 9,735

76.41%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$1.80 COP 5,809

-5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.41 COP 4,561

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.18 COP 10.3K

105.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 $6.35

$5.75 COP 18.6K

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.51 COP 4,876

-33.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.38 COP 7,678

45.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.77 COP 5,720

150.28%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.89 COP 9,333

46.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$10.19 COP 32.9K

23.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$9.87 COP 31.9K

16.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$13.99 COP 45.2K

20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.97 COP 12.8K

28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.55 COP 5,012

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.18 COP 7,048

101.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.18 COP 7,051

110.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.96 COP 6,337

44.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.59 COP 5,132

87.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.15 COP 3,699

92.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.24 COP 4,014

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$3.96 COP 12.8K

153.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.68 COP 44.2K

8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.66 COP 5,359

16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.26 COP 7,291

51.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.17 COP 3,771

74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 $60.2

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-22.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.27 COP 4,094

140.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.05 COP 6,612

-14.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.40 $30.40

$8.55 COP 27.6K

255.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 COP 4,349

-24.44%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-17.13%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-23.84%

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

$204 $204

$170 COP 547.8K

20.14%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$13.55 COP 43.8K

333.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$28.07 COP 90.6K

149.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.72 $45.72

$43.70 COP 141.1K

4.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.70 $37.70

$17.19 COP 55.5K

119.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 $14.37

$6.91 COP 22.3K

107.96%

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

$1,551 $1,551

$797 COP 2.6M

94.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

169.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.68 $48.68

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 $44.26

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 $82.9

$135 COP 435.8K

-38.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$97.9 COP 316.0K

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,208 COP 3.9M

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$642 COP 2.1M

113.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,909 $2,909

$2,028 COP 6.5M

43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 $1,989

$1,012 COP 3.3M

96.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 $2,637

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-36.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,109 $2,109

$1,910 COP 6.2M

10.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,055 $5,055

$657 COP 2.1M

669.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.94

-39.95%

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

Last update for Bel Air, MD: 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

Bel Air, MD

$1.4K 51.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 53.1% $728

Groceries & Markets

Bel Air, MD

$397 14.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 25.2% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bel Air, MD

$333 12.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 36.5% $121

Eating Out

Bel Air, MD

$281 10.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 39.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Bel Air, MD

$127 4.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 32.8% $42

Getting Around

Bel Air, MD

$80 3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 16.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bel Air, MD

$74 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 22.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,505 in Bel Air, MD 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 Bel Air, MD are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Bel Air, MD versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bel Air, MD

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

Same time as Bel Air, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,253

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 = 2.78 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bel Air, MD Medellin 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bel Air, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,662 in Bel Air, MD, $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Bel Air, MD 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 $1,505 in Bel Air, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,662 in Bel Air, MD and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 38% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Bel Air, MD. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Bel Air, MD at $2,662. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bel Air, MD 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, Bel Air, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.