Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,480 in Boston versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,605 in Boston versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,729 in Boston versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Boston is roughly 44% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boston 80% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.53 £20.37

$8.03 COP 25.1K

242.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 £60.8

$48.26 COP 151.0K

70.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.93

$9.77 COP 30.6K

9.72%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.75

$2.91 COP 9,107

74.57%

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

$2.47 £1.83

$1.94 COP 6,082

27.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.58

$1.52 COP 4,760

40.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 £4.26

$3.09 COP 9,676

86.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 £4.12

$5.74 COP 18.0K

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.36 COP 4,267

9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 £0.40

$2.39 COP 7,470

-77.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.70 COP 5,321

-4.71%

Eggs

$4.11 £3.04

$2.87 COP 8,979

43.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 £6.97

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 £6.20

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 £12.62

$14.73 COP 46.1K

15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 £2.45

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.57 COP 4,917

5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 £2.41

$2.13 COP 6,651

53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.60

$2.21 COP 6,926

59.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 £0.89

$2.05 COP 6,404

-41.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.50 COP 4,706

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.19 COP 3,723

8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.94

$1.16 COP 3,623

10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.09 £11.90

$3.90 COP 12.2K

312.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.93 £6.61

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.54

$1.58 COP 4,955

117.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.83 COP 8,847

11.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.58

$1.17 COP 3,655

198.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £71.8

$77.7 COP 243.2K

24.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 £3.18

$1.28 COP 4,019

235.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.14 £3.06

$2.09 COP 6,546

98.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.29 £24.62

$8.62 COP 27.0K

286.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.30 COP 4,061

49.23%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

41.30%

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

$42.1K £31.1K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

18.53%

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

$374 £277

$176 COP 550.9K

112.50%

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

$18.25 £13.50

$13.37 COP 41.8K

36.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.20 £34.18

$29.89 COP 93.5K

54.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.95 £35.48

$44.76 COP 140.0K

7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 £7.64

$6.20 COP 19.4K

66.45%

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

$1,662 £1,230

$793 COP 2.5M

109.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K £16.3K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

144.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 £41.13

$85.6 COP 267.8K

-35.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 £30.22

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-30.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 £54.9

$136 COP 426.4K

-45.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 £45.81

$103 COP 322.6K

-39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 £934

$1,060 COP 3.3M

19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 £771

$680 COP 2.1M

53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 £1,545

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 £1,242

$1,169 COP 3.7M

43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,305 £3,925

$4,111 COP 12.9M

29.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,511 £2,598

$1,701 COP 5.3M

106.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,806 £1,336

$665 COP 2.1M

171.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

10.94

-52.38%

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

Last update for Boston: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,262 in Boston and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boston pays 171% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Boston vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $303, with Boston cheaper for home cooking.

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

Boston vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Boston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 171% higher in Boston, 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: $1,262 in Boston versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,480 per month in Boston versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 25% less than in Boston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,480 in Boston, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Boston. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Boston and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Boston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.