Cost of Living Comparison Between Berkeley Heights, NJ and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Berkeley Heights, NJ and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,770 in Berkeley Heights, NJ versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Berkeley Heights, NJ versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,358 in Berkeley Heights, NJ versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Berkeley Heights, NJ is roughly 172% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Berkeley Heights, NJ is 107% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$5.93 COP 19.0K

234.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$33.12 COP 106.0K

144.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$7.12 COP 22.8K

111.24%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$1.71 COP 5,457

197.08%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.05 COP 3,356

143.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.72 COP 2,311

183.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$1.72 COP 5,502

369.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.17 COP 10.2K

147.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.06 COP 3,408

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.31 COP 4,192

204.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$1.33 COP 4,256

626.32%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.28 COP 7,298

89.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$4.42 COP 14.1K

179.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$5.92 COP 18.9K

94.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.95 $22.95

$8.64 COP 27.7K

165.62%

Apples (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$2.34 COP 7,504

211.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.10 COP 3,527

124.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$1.47 COP 4,698

263.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$1.38 COP 4,415

339.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.17 COP 3,754

139.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.17 COP 3,744

211.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.90 COP 2,890

185.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.84 COP 2,693

254.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 $10.80

$2.33 COP 7,449

363.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$11.92 COP 38.1K

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.15 COP 3,673

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.42 COP 7,749

167.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.84 COP 2,687

144.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 $6.03

$1.41 COP 4,517

327.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.91 COP 6,127

-13.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.36 $41.36

$7.83 COP 25.0K

428.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.94 COP 3,020

-6.38%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

67.49%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-1.07%

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

$177 $177

$83.3 COP 266.4K

112.17%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$9.66 COP 30.9K

428.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 $56.7

$24.22 COP 77.5K

134.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.30 $43.30

$25.22 COP 80.7K

71.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$4.07 COP 13.0K

271.74%

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

$1,857 $1,857

$307 COP 981.2K

505.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K $40.3K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

573.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$60.0 COP 191.9K

14.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$32.65 COP 104.5K

66.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 $145

$101 COP 323.5K

43.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 $201

$108 COP 345.7K

85.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$476 COP 1.5M

230.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$379 COP 1.2M

259.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,629 $2,629

$816 COP 2.6M

221.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 $2,243

$707 COP 2.3M

217.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,929 $2,929

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-8.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,578 $2,578

$1,446 COP 4.6M

78.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

13.43

-51.23%

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

Last update for Berkeley Heights, NJ: July 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Berkeley Heights, NJ and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Berkeley Heights, NJ vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $192 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Berkeley Heights, NJ vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Berkeley Heights, NJ and Medellin differ by about 172% in total monthly costs ($2,770 vs $1,018 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,154 in Berkeley Heights, NJ and $1,527 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,572 in Berkeley Heights, NJ versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,857 in Berkeley Heights, NJ versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $81.0 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,770 in Berkeley Heights, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Berkeley Heights, NJ. 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.