Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,098 in Burlington, VT, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Burlington, VT, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Burlington, VT
🇺🇸 United States
$3,098
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,098 in Burlington, VT versus $1,692 in Medellin.

  • Burlington, VT $3,098
  • Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,642 in Burlington, VT versus $2,471 in Medellin.

  • Burlington, VT $4,642
  • Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,187 in Burlington, VT versus $3,249 in Medellin.

  • Burlington, VT $6,187
  • Medellin $3,249

Living in Burlington, VT is roughly 83% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, VT 129% above, Medellin 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.36 $22.36
$8.34 COP 27.0K
168.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.7 $79.7
$46.53 COP 150.9K
71.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.21 $12.21
$9.47 COP 30.7K
28.93%
Cappuccino
$5.03 $5.03
$3.13 COP 10.2K
60.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.77 COP 5,727
63.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 $2.37
$1.42 COP 4,619
66.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.15 $8.15
$3.15 COP 10.2K
158.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.22 $8.22
$5.70 COP 18.5K
44.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.53 COP 4,969
-17.65%
White Bread (500g)
$4.59 $4.59
$2.29 COP 7,429
100.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$1.94 COP 6,306
204.64%
Eggs
$4.48 $4.48
$3.07 COP 9,942
45.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.38 $15.38
$9.99 COP 32.4K
53.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.25 $12.25
$10.45 COP 33.9K
17.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.07 $19.07
$13.96 COP 45.3K
36.60%
Apples (1kg)
$7.25 $7.25
$4.05 COP 13.1K
79.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.53 COP 4,956
32.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.49 $5.49
$2.10 COP 6,823
161.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.37 $7.37
$2.29 COP 7,437
221.83%
Potato (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$2.11 COP 6,839
109.00%
Onion (1kg)
$3.95 $3.95
$1.71 COP 5,542
130.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.02 $3.02
$1.17 COP 3,794
158.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.58 COP 5,123
80.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.26 $12.26
$3.91 COP 12.7K
213.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.20 $15.20
$14.04 COP 45.5K
8.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.76 COP 5,712
1.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 $4.46
$2.71 COP 8,793
64.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.18 COP 3,825
67.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.8 $50.8
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-33.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.81 COP 5,859
40.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.13 COP 6,904
-15.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.73 $27.73
$8.13 COP 26.4K
241.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.28 COP 4,135
-10.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-20.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-22.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 $151
$178 COP 576.3K
-15.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.6 $55.6
$13.89 COP 45.0K
300.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.1 $62.1
$30.74 COP 99.7K
102.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.0 $64.0
$41.94 COP 136.0K
52.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.22 $28.22
$16.80 COP 54.5K
67.98%
Cinema Ticket
$12.15 $12.15
$7.47 COP 24.2K
62.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,267 $1,267
$790 COP 2.6M
60.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.1K $21.1K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
71.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 $59.7
$86.3 COP 279.9K
-30.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.3 $51.3
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-13.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.2 $70.2
$138 COP 448.6K
-49.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$155 $155
$98.8 COP 320.4K
56.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,426 $2,426
$1,341 COP 4.3M
80.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,678 $1,678
$667 COP 2.2M
151.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,601 $3,601
$1,976 COP 6.4M
82.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,943 $2,943
$1,033 COP 3.3M
184.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,831 $3,831
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-6.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,217 $3,217
$1,940 COP 6.3M
65.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Burlington, VT
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,442 $4,442
$646 COP 2.1M
587.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.7
10.94
-38.76%

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

Last update for Burlington, VT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Burlington, VT
$1.7K
Medellin
$667 60.2% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Burlington, VT
$487
Medellin
$307 36.9% $180
Eating Out
Burlington, VT
$354
Medellin
$173 51.3% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burlington, VT
$269
Medellin
$222 17.2% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Burlington, VT
$151
Medellin
$172 13.9% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Burlington, VT
$88
Medellin
$57 35.5% $31
Getting Around
Burlington, VT
$70
Medellin
$93 33.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,426 in Burlington, VT and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays about 6.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in Burlington, VT vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $307 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Burlington, VT
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
17:16 5:16 PM
17:16 5:16 PM
Same time as Burlington, VT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,743
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Burlington, VT Medellin 4,250 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Burlington, VT
  • 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
Burlington, VT vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Burlington, VT?
Medellin is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Burlington, VT or Medellin?
Average pay in Burlington, VT is about 6.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Burlington, VT and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,426 in Burlington, VT versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Burlington, VT runs roughly 33% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,267 in Burlington, VT versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Burlington, VT or in Medellin?
At $1,692 in Medellin versus $3,098 in Burlington, VT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Burlington, VT. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Burlington, VT or Medellin more family-friendly?
For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burlington, VT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Burlington, VT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Burlington, VT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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