Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, WA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,763 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Bellevue, WA $3,763
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Bellevue, WA versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Bellevue, WA $5,702
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,641 in Bellevue, WA versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Bellevue, WA $7,641
Medellin $3,186

Living in Bellevue, WA is roughly 130% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellevue, WA 177% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.38 $25.38

$8.09 COP 26.1K

213.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$47.05 COP 151.9K

113.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$9.50 COP 30.7K

37.16%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.01 COP 9,735

92.69%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$1.80 COP 5,809

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.41 COP 4,561

78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$3.18 COP 10.3K

148.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$5.75 COP 18.6K

38.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.51 COP 4,876

-27.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.38 COP 7,678

95.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$1.77 COP 5,720

241.81%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.89 COP 9,333

91.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.19 COP 32.9K

56.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$9.87 COP 31.9K

64.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.78 $22.78

$13.99 COP 45.2K

62.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.97 COP 12.8K

41.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.55 COP 5,012

20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.18 COP 7,048

154.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.18 COP 7,051

107.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.96 COP 6,337

41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.59 COP 5,132

108.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.15 COP 3,699

73.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.24 COP 4,014

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.41 $12.41

$3.96 COP 12.8K

213.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$13.68 COP 44.2K

32.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.66 COP 5,359

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.26 COP 7,291

110.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.17 COP 3,771

160.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$77.4 COP 249.8K

42.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.27 COP 4,094

107.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.05 COP 6,612

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 $30.09

$8.55 COP 27.6K

251.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.35 COP 4,349

4.44%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-16.06%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-24.02%

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

$227 $227

$170 COP 547.8K

34.09%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$13.55 COP 43.8K

299.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$28.07 COP 90.6K

130.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$186 $186

$43.70 COP 141.1K

325.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 $39.31

$17.19 COP 55.5K

128.68%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$6.91 COP 22.3K

164.54%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$797 COP 2.6M

148.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

249.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 $44.06

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-23.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$135 COP 435.8K

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$97.9 COP 316.0K

28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$1,208 COP 3.9M

143.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$642 COP 2.1M

216.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,554 $6,554

$2,028 COP 6.5M

223.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,722 $3,722

$1,012 COP 3.3M

267.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,947 $7,947

$4,170 COP 13.5M

90.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,385 $5,385

$1,910 COP 6.2M

181.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,751 $8,751

$657 COP 2.1M

1231.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 68.4% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 39.9% $198

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 56.5% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 39% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 74.1% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$149 4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 13.6% $20

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 29.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,940 in Bellevue, WA and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Bellevue, WA vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

02:07 2:07 AM

3 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

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 →

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Bellevue, WA Medellin 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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Bellevue, WA
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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

Bellevue, WA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Bellevue, WA is about 13 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: $2,940 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $101 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,763 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bellevue, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.