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: $2,510 in Cambridge versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,536 in Cambridge versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Cambridge versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 53% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 82% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.04 CA$25.02

$8.04 COP 24.8K

124.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 CA$81.0

$48.29 COP 148.6K

20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 CA$13.98

$9.42 COP 29.0K

7.01%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.02

$2.94 COP 9,040

23.13%

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

$2.00 CA$2.78

$1.86 COP 5,735

7.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$1.46 COP 4,479

-4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 CA$7.33

$3.21 COP 9,882

64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CA$8.68

$5.71 COP 17.6K

9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.94

$1.44 COP 4,428

47.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 CA$3.45

$2.40 COP 7,389

3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.03

$1.70 COP 5,228

70.59%

Eggs

$3.35 CA$4.65

$2.89 COP 8,896

15.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.72

$10.06 COP 30.9K

12.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.82 CA$16.40

$9.97 COP 30.7K

18.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 CA$19.54

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.26

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-4.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.60

$1.58 COP 4,878

-26.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 CA$6.06

$2.15 COP 6,624

103.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.42

$2.30 COP 7,078

70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.74

$2.00 COP 6,169

34.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.57

$1.51 COP 4,646

22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CA$3.10

$1.20 COP 3,701

85.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.12

$1.28 COP 3,946

19.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.57 CA$18.81

$3.84 COP 11.8K

253.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 CA$17.90

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-7.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.34

$1.71 COP 5,256

40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 CA$5.66

$2.74 COP 8,440

48.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.56

$1.25 COP 3,834

104.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 CA$93.7

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-13.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 CA$3.58

$1.31 COP 4,016

96.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 CA$2.46

$2.17 COP 6,680

-17.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.39 CA$32.44

$8.29 COP 25.5K

182.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.67

$1.36 COP 4,172

-11.03%

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

$26.3K CA$36.5K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

-4.29%

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

$19.9K CA$27.6K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-45.59%

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

$148 CA$205

$169 COP 519.2K

-12.22%

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

$40.10 CA$55.6

$13.57 COP 41.8K

195.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$69.5

$28.32 COP 87.2K

77.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.62 CA$41.07

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-35.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.67 CA$14.79

$6.65 COP 20.5K

60.45%

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

$553 CA$767

$803 COP 2.5M

-31.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.1K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

80.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 CA$79.2

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-34.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.21 CA$47.45

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-42.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 CA$112

$139 COP 427.5K

-41.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$152

$102 COP 314.0K

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 CA$1,907

$1,071 COP 3.3M

28.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 CA$1,904

$653 COP 2.0M

110.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,616 CA$3,628

$1,925 COP 5.9M

35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 CA$2,883

$1,048 COP 3.2M

98.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 CA$5,987

$4,123 COP 12.7M

4.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,980 CA$5,520

$1,697 COP 5.2M

134.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,047 CA$4,226

$655 COP 2.0M

365.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

10.94

-53.47%

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

Last update for Cambridge: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,375 in Cambridge and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 365% 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: $58.0 in Cambridge vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $300 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. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 365% higher in Cambridge, 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: $1,375 in Cambridge versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% 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 $48.00 versus $58.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,510 in Cambridge, a $2,500 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 53% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.