Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blacksburg, VA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Blacksburg, VA
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Blacksburg, VA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Blacksburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,992 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Blacksburg, VA $1,992
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,107 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Blacksburg, VA $3,107
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,223 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Blacksburg, VA $4,223
Medellin $3,199

Blacksburg, VA costs about 23% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Blacksburg, VA and Medellin sit above the global median – Blacksburg, VA by 47%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 $16.94

$8.30 COP 26.3K

104.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 $65.8

$46.91 COP 148.7K

40.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 $8.41

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-8.98%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$3.05 COP 9,676

60.33%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$1.80 COP 5,707

57.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.38 COP 4,382

48.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.24 COP 10.3K

82.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$5.56 COP 17.6K

22.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.50 COP 4,760

-37.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.37 COP 7,508

32.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.70 COP 5,377

77.06%

Eggs

$4.49 $4.49

$2.96 COP 9,379

51.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$10.22 COP 32.4K

44.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.74 COP 30.9K

1.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-26.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.13 COP 13.1K

24.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.53 COP 4,839

-16.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.22 COP 7,052

95.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.27 COP 7,194

109.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.99 COP 6,311

23.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.67 COP 5,285

24.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.18 COP 3,742

72.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.24 COP 3,919

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.84 $8.84

$3.87 COP 12.3K

128.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$13.78 COP 43.7K

10.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.66 COP 5,256

33.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.40 COP 7,615

14.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.28 COP 4,044

133.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.15 COP 6,803

-13.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.97 $11.97

$8.37 COP 26.5K

43.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.35 COP 4,288

-36.30%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-27.38%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-31.42%

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

$162 $162

$167 COP 528.4K

-2.86%

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

$29.57 $29.57

$13.62 COP 43.2K

117.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$29.12 COP 92.3K

133.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 $40.21

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-10.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 $10.18

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-40.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$6.97 COP 22.1K

116.79%

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

$856 $856

$790 COP 2.5M

8.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

166.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 $36.85

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-58.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 $31.91

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-45.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$139 COP 440.7K

-44.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 $83.5

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$1,028 COP 3.3M

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 $912

$620 COP 2.0M

47.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,881 COP 6.0M

12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 $1,828

$1,008 COP 3.2M

81.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,110 $2,110

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-47.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,101 $2,101

$1,702 COP 5.4M

23.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,117 $4,117

$663 COP 2.1M

520.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

10.94

-39.58%

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

Last update for Blacksburg, VA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Blacksburg, VA

$912 45.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 32.1% $293

Groceries & Markets

Blacksburg, VA

$352 17.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 15.5% $54

Eating Out

Blacksburg, VA

$282 14.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 39.5% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Blacksburg, VA

$259 13%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 19.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Blacksburg, VA

$103 5.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 67.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Blacksburg, VA

$70 3.5%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 16.2% $11

Getting Around

Blacksburg, VA

$12 * 0.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 676% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,306 in Blacksburg, VA versus $1,028 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 521% higher in Blacksburg, VA, 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 $66.0 in Blacksburg, VA versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Blacksburg, VA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

1 h behind Blacksburg, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,826

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 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

Blacksburg, VA Medellin 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Blacksburg, VA
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

Blacksburg, VA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,988 per month in Blacksburg, VA and $2,437 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $856 per month in Blacksburg, VA and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Blacksburg, VA at $1,992. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blacksburg, VA 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 $1,625 in Medellin to $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA. 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, Blacksburg, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.