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: $2,243 in Cambridge versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Cambridge versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Cambridge versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 121% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 67% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.38 NZ$22.84

$5.95 COP 20.8K

124.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.53 NZ$62.4

$33.33 COP 116.3K

9.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 NZ$15.48

$7.23 COP 25.2K

25.45%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NZ$5.07

$1.63 COP 5,687

82.21%

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

$2.42 NZ$4.13

$1.09 COP 3,821

122.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NZ$3.71

$0.73 COP 2,548

197.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 NZ$8.05

$1.74 COP 6,065

171.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 NZ$10.89

$3.23 COP 11.3K

97.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.89

$1.05 COP 3,662

60.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NZ$2.77

$1.29 COP 4,515

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.32 COP 4,617

38.64%

Eggs

$6.05 NZ$10.33

$2.27 COP 7,927

166.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 NZ$13.79

$4.35 COP 15.2K

85.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 NZ$15.37

$5.88 COP 20.5K

53.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 NZ$21.20

$8.61 COP 30.0K

44.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 NZ$4.17

$2.25 COP 7,844

8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.07 COP 3,733

77.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.05

$1.52 COP 5,322

55.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 NZ$5.05

$1.42 COP 4,964

108.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.67

$1.17 COP 4,084

83.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$1.17 COP 4,077

57.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$0.89 COP 3,096

137.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.15

$0.90 COP 3,146

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.57 NZ$35.13

$2.25 COP 7,837

814.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 NZ$16.58

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 NZ$4.19

$1.14 COP 3,977

114.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 NZ$4.57

$2.38 COP 8,301

12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 NZ$5.05

$0.84 COP 2,916

252.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 NZ$111

$41.95 COP 146.4K

54.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.49

$1.41 COP 4,912

86.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$1.90 COP 6,634

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 NZ$60.2

$7.75 COP 27.0K

354.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.85

$1.01 COP 3,509

65.35%

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

$26.8K NZ$45.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

52.60%

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

$22.8K NZ$39.0K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-13.87%

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

$109 NZ$187

$83.7 COP 292.1K

30.58%

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

$36.87 NZ$63.0

$9.45 COP 33.0K

290.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.85 NZ$68.1

$24.11 COP 84.1K

65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 NZ$62.5

$25.31 COP 88.3K

44.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.17 NZ$20.78

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.96 NZ$15.31

$4.10 COP 14.3K

118.54%

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

$739 NZ$1,262

$312 COP 1.1M

136.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.9K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

104.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 NZ$168

$58.0 COP 202.6K

69.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 NZ$97.1

$32.56 COP 113.6K

74.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$177

$99.6 COP 347.7K

3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 NZ$219

$109 COP 378.8K

18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 NZ$1,663

$482 COP 1.7M

101.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 NZ$2,050

$379 COP 1.3M

216.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 NZ$3,572

$837 COP 2.9M

149.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NZ$2,717

$723 COP 2.5M

120.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,477 NZ$7,644

$2,840 COP 9.9M

57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 NZ$5,792

$1,223 COP 4.3M

177.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,629 NZ$4,489

$541 COP 1.9M

386.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-55.32%

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

Last update for Cambridge: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $974 in Cambridge and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 386% 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: $37.00 in Cambridge vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $190 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cambridge pays 386% 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: $974 in Cambridge versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Cambridge versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 55% less than in Cambridge. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,243 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.

Safety-wise, Cambridge 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 121% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.