Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem, PA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $2,630
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,712 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $3,712
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,794 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $4,794
Medellin $3,190

Bethlehem, PA costs about 63% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bethlehem, PA and Medellin sit above the global median – Bethlehem, PA by 95%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$7.93 COP 25.2K

128.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 $50.4

$46.13 COP 146.3K

9.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.50 COP 30.1K

38.74%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.11 COP 9,866

62.06%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.83 COP 5,800

62.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.38 COP 4,360

44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.05 COP 9,672

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$5.50 COP 17.4K

48.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.45 COP 4,600

-19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.36 COP 7,496

64.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.68 COP 5,328

132.74%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$2.86 COP 9,077

41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$10.19 COP 32.3K

19.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 $16.53

$9.53 COP 30.2K

73.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$14.04 COP 44.5K

31.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$4.07 COP 12.9K

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.50 COP 4,742

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.17 COP 6,891

86.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.31 COP 7,310

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.93 COP 6,113

15.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.64 COP 5,196

59.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.13 COP 3,571

139.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.25 COP 3,954

46.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 $9.67

$3.99 COP 12.6K

142.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.69 $17.69

$13.35 COP 42.3K

32.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.70 COP 5,384

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$2.37 COP 7,525

189.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.32 COP 4,179

271.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.14 COP 6,774

41.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.21 $35.21

$8.47 COP 26.8K

315.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.30 COP 4,114

-28.46%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-19.35%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-31.44%

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

$203 $203

$172 COP 545.6K

17.71%

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

$39.54 $39.54

$13.37 COP 42.4K

195.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$28.73 COP 91.1K

175.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 $36.73

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-18.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$6.28 COP 19.9K

141.40%

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

$1,004 $1,004

$770 COP 2.4M

30.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.9K $64.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

620.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-38.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 $30.05

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-47.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 $66.1

$137 COP 432.9K

-51.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 $84.2

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$1,055 COP 3.3M

47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$616 COP 2.0M

122.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$1,892 COP 6.0M

17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,023 COP 3.2M

110.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-47.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,678 COP 5.3M

26.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 $3,507

$652 COP 2.1M

437.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

10.94

-40.59%

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

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 52.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 55.1% $757

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 32.5% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem, PA

$321 12.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 33.3% $107

Eating Out

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 45.2% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem, PA

$105 4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 61.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem, PA

$67 2.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 13.8% $9.3

Getting Around

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 366% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Bethlehem, PA versus $1,055 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 run about 438% higher in Bethlehem, PA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $437 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

12:28 12:28 PM

1 h behind Bethlehem, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,624

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bethlehem, PA Medellin 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem, PA
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

Bethlehem, PA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Bethlehem, PA and $2,421 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Bethlehem, PA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Bethlehem, PA at $2,630. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethlehem, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethlehem, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.