Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,479 in Cambridge versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Cambridge versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Cambridge versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 145% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 85% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.44 CA$20.08

$5.99 COP 21.3K

141.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 CA$91.0

$32.86 COP 116.9K

99.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.27

$7.09 COP 25.2K

34.56%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$4.91

$1.71 COP 6,093

106.43%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$1.10 COP 3,910

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$0.78 COP 2,771

108.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.27

$1.68 COP 5,976

254.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 CA$9.31

$3.07 COP 10.9K

117.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.95

$1.09 COP 3,892

94.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.26 COP 4,492

76.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$1.38 COP 4,905

113.77%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.29

$2.19 COP 7,799

41.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 CA$11.41

$4.40 COP 15.7K

86.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 CA$16.23

$5.63 COP 20.0K

107.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 CA$19.43

$8.89 COP 31.6K

57.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.26

$2.34 COP 8,319

61.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$1.06 COP 3,764

13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.16

$1.50 COP 5,355

147.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.18

$1.38 COP 4,906

169.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.75

$1.15 COP 4,097

134.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CA$3.47

$1.16 COP 4,141

114.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$0.89 COP 3,170

140.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.28

$0.84 COP 2,986

95.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 CA$19.03

$2.28 COP 8,116

500.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$17.73

$10.64 COP 37.9K

19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.44

$1.20 COP 4,268

105.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.47

$2.47 COP 8,793

29.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 CA$3.49

$0.86 COP 3,045

191.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 CA$95.4

$41.40 COP 147.3K

65.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.47 COP 5,245

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$1.96 COP 6,984

-11.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 CA$33.46

$7.74 COP 27.5K

210.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.59

$0.95 COP 3,397

20.00%

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

$25.0K CA$34.7K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

37.71%

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

$20.2K CA$28.1K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-23.74%

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

$154 CA$214

$82.3 COP 292.7K

87.27%

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

$38.79 CA$54.0

$9.50 COP 33.8K

308.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 CA$76.8

$24.23 COP 86.2K

127.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.12 CA$41.89

$25.89 COP 92.1K

16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 CA$16.16

$3.93 COP 14.0K

195.67%

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

$561 CA$780

$309 COP 1.1M

81.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K CA$14.1K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

70.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.7

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 CA$48.20

$32.35 COP 115.1K

7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 CA$97.7

$103 COP 365.1K

-31.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$155

$108 COP 385.8K

2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 CA$1,963

$476 COP 1.7M

196.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,916

$379 COP 1.3M

263.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 CA$3,757

$838 COP 3.0M

222.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CA$2,929

$724 COP 2.6M

190.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,307 CA$5,990

$2,791 COP 9.9M

54.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,927 CA$5,461

$1,211 COP 4.3M

224.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 CA$4,157

$512 COP 1.8M

484.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

13.43

-50.56%

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

Last update for Cambridge: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,411 in Cambridge and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 484% 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: $65.0 in Cambridge vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Cambridge vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 145% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cambridge pays 484% more on average, 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: $1,411 in Cambridge versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,479 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.