Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethel, AK and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,651 in Bethel, AK, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
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Bethel, AK Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,651

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Bethel, AK versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Bethel, AK $2,651
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,886 in Bethel, AK versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Bethel, AK $3,886
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,121 in Bethel, AK versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Bethel, AK $5,121
Medellin $3,186

Living in Bethel, AK is roughly 62% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bethel, AK 95% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$8.09 COP 25.6K

149.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 $75.7

$47.05 COP 148.7K

60.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$9.50 COP 30.0K

20.74%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$3.01 COP 9,532

76.08%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.80 COP 5,688

52.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.41 COP 4,465

39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.18 COP 10.0K

89.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$5.75 COP 18.2K

28.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.51 COP 4,774

-33.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.38 COP 7,517

47.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.77 COP 5,601

141.24%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$2.89 COP 9,138

48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$10.19 COP 32.2K

21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$9.87 COP 31.2K

15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$13.99 COP 44.2K

23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.97 COP 12.6K

25.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.55 COP 4,907

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.18 COP 6,901

101.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.18 COP 6,904

111.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.96 COP 6,205

41.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.59 COP 5,025

85.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.15 COP 3,622

82.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.24 COP 3,930

84.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$3.96 COP 12.5K

152.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$13.68 COP 43.3K

8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.66 COP 5,247

15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.26 COP 7,139

44.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.17 COP 3,692

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$77.4 COP 244.6K

-18.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.27 COP 4,009

147.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.05 COP 6,474

-14.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$8.55 COP 27.0K

244.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 COP 4,258

-24.44%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.1K COP 107.7M

-17.47%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.7K COP 109.6M

-24.51%

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

$196 $196

$170 COP 536.4K

15.54%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$13.55 COP 42.8K

334.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$28.07 COP 88.7K

152.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 $42.45

$43.70 COP 138.2K

-2.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$6.91 COP 21.9K

102.03%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$797 COP 2.5M

78.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$9,112 COP 28.8M

159.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$84.7 COP 267.8K

-37.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 $41.55

$58.0 COP 183.2K

-28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 $89.3

$135 COP 426.7K

-33.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$97.9 COP 309.4K

18.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,208 COP 3.8M

31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$642 COP 2.0M

105.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 $2,537

$2,028 COP 6.4M

25.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,012 COP 3.2M

115.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 $2,740

$4,170 COP 13.2M

-34.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 $2,372

$1,910 COP 6.0M

24.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 Bethel, AK: 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

Bethel, AK

$1.3K 49.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 51.3% $675

Groceries & Markets

Bethel, AK

$397 15%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 25.2% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethel, AK

$326 12.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 35.1% $114

Eating Out

Bethel, AK

$323 12.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 47.6% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Bethel, AK

$135 5.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 25.3% $34

Getting Around

Bethel, AK

$83 3.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 12.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bethel, AK

$70 2.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 18.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,584 in Bethel, AK and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Bethel, AK vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

12:14 12:14 PM

3 h ahead of Bethel, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,300

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bethel, AK Medellin 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethel, AK
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

Bethel, AK vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,651 in Bethel, AK and $1,639 in Medellin, so Medellin is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,976 in Bethel, AK and $2,459 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: $1,584 in Bethel, AK versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,651 per month in Bethel, AK versus $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bethel, AK runs roughly 18% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,651 in Bethel, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bethel, AK. 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.