Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol, VA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,038 in Bristol, VA, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

100

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

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,038

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,038 in Bristol, VA versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Bristol, VA $2,038
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,040 in Bristol, VA versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Bristol, VA $3,040
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,041 in Bristol, VA versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Bristol, VA $4,041
Medellin $3,199

Living in Bristol, VA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol, VA 50% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$8.30 COP 26.3K

113.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 $63.9

$46.91 COP 148.7K

36.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$9.24 COP 29.3K

17.10%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$3.05 COP 9,676

32.13%

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

$1.93 $1.93

$1.80 COP 5,707

7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.38 COP 4,382

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.24 COP 10.3K

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$5.56 COP 17.6K

6.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.50 COP 4,760

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.37 COP 7,508

68.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.70 COP 5,377

95.88%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$2.96 COP 9,379

24.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$10.22 COP 32.4K

59.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$9.74 COP 30.9K

63.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.05 $18.05

$13.90 COP 44.1K

29.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.13 COP 13.1K

26.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.53 COP 4,839

-16.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.22 COP 7,052

111.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.27 COP 7,194

102.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.99 COP 6,311

92.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.67 COP 5,285

73.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.18 COP 3,742

69.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.24 COP 3,919

88.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$3.87 COP 12.3K

120.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 $15.55

$13.78 COP 43.7K

12.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.66 COP 5,256

47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.40 COP 7,615

52.92%

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)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.28 COP 4,044

138.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.15 COP 6,803

-11.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.46 $29.46

$8.37 COP 26.5K

251.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.35 COP 4,288

-34.07%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-0.77%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-26.75%

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

$171 $171

$167 COP 528.4K

2.81%

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

$67.4 $67.4

$13.62 COP 43.2K

395.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$29.12 COP 92.3K

142.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.37 $31.37

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-30.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$15.98 $15.98

$6.97 COP 22.1K

129.27%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$790 COP 2.5M

85.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

174.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-42.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.93 $36.93

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-36.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 $65.5

$139 COP 440.7K

-52.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 $90.6

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$1,028 COP 3.3M

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$620 COP 2.0M

34.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 $1,786

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-5.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 $1,389

$1,008 COP 3.2M

37.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,788 $1,788

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-55.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,702 COP 5.4M

5.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,025 $3,025

$663 COP 2.1M

356.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

10.94

-40.77%

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

Last update for Bristol, 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

Bristol, VA

$831 40.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 25.5% $212

Groceries & Markets

Bristol, VA

$440 21.6%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 32.3% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bristol, VA

$309 15.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 32.3% $100

Eating Out

Bristol, VA

$272 13.4%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 37.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Bristol, VA

$110 5.4%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 57.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bristol, VA

$63 3.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 6.8% $4.3

Getting Around

Bristol, VA

$13 * 0.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 656% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bristol, VA and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol, VA pays 356% 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: $64.0 in Bristol, VA vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h behind Bristol, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,141

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Bristol, VA Medellin 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bristol, 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

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

Bristol, VA and Medellin differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,038 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 356% higher in Bristol, VA, 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: $1,107 in Bristol, VA versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,465 in Bristol, VA versus $790 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 $47.00 versus $64.0 in Bristol, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bristol, VA. 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 25% less than in Bristol, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.