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: $2,082 in Cambridge versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,855 in Cambridge versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,627 in Cambridge versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 31% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 55% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.93

$8.01 COP 25.8K

75.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 NZ$118

$46.55 COP 150.3K

42.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 NZ$15.57

$9.43 COP 30.5K

-7.10%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$6.05

$2.91 COP 9,398

16.84%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.55

$1.75 COP 5,657

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 NZ$3.41

$1.32 COP 4,273

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 NZ$10.68

$3.13 COP 10.1K

92.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 NZ$11.87

$5.55 COP 17.9K

20.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.80

$1.41 COP 4,553

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$2.44 COP 7,878

-8.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.22

$1.63 COP 5,258

11.04%

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$11.05

$2.82 COP 9,107

120.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 NZ$15.36

$9.69 COP 31.3K

-10.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.76

$9.32 COP 30.1K

1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 NZ$22.65

$13.46 COP 43.4K

-5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.53

$4.00 COP 12.9K

-36.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.90

$1.48 COP 4,780

47.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.17

$2.12 COP 6,856

37.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NZ$10.20

$2.25 COP 7,271

155.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$1.91 COP 6,171

12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 NZ$2.69

$1.62 COP 5,228

-6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$1.15 COP 3,706

98.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$1.26 COP 4,074

-13.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.82 NZ$45.91

$3.82 COP 12.3K

575.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$18.02

$13.11 COP 42.3K

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NZ$6.04

$1.60 COP 5,149

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 NZ$6.77

$2.26 COP 7,282

68.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.83

$1.17 COP 3,779

132.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 242.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$1.27 COP 4,108

74.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$2.05 COP 6,616

-1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.15 NZ$57.2

$8.20 COP 26.5K

292.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$1.27 COP 4,098

31.50%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

$26.8K COP 86.4M

-5.92%

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

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

$34.4K COP 111.1M

-35.43%

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

$100 NZ$178

$162 COP 523.6K

-38.25%

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

$26.80 NZ$47.65

$13.12 COP 42.4K

104.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 NZ$89.0

$28.09 COP 90.7K

78.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 143.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 NZ$24.88

$6.09 COP 19.6K

129.89%

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

$665 NZ$1,183

$764 COP 2.5M

-12.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

$8,904 COP 28.7M

117.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 NZ$111

$85.0 COP 274.3K

-26.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 NZ$66.2

$57.5 COP 185.6K

-35.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 NZ$168

$132 COP 425.3K

-28.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NZ$184

$95.8 COP 309.1K

8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 NZ$1,019

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-44.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 NZ$1,967

$604 COP 2.0M

83.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 NZ$2,128

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,577

$993 COP 3.2M

46.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,500 NZ$8,001

$3,921 COP 12.7M

14.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 NZ$6,995

$1,639 COP 5.3M

140.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,567 NZ$4,564

$626 COP 2.0M

309.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.16%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $573 in Cambridge and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 310% 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: $66.0 in Cambridge vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $288 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 310% 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: $573 in Cambridge versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in Cambridge versus $764 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 $66.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,082 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 31% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.