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: $2,200 in Cambridge versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,031 in Cambridge versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,862 in Cambridge versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 113% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 64% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 NZ$22.61

$5.92 COP 21.5K

124.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 NZ$60.7

$32.75 COP 119.1K

8.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.22

$7.20 COP 26.2K

24.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 NZ$5.20

$1.70 COP 6,186

80.00%

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

$2.41 NZ$4.10

$1.10 COP 3,996

119.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NZ$3.66

$0.72 COP 2,625

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 NZ$8.22

$1.67 COP 6,067

189.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.73

$3.10 COP 11.3K

103.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.77

$1.06 COP 3,837

53.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NZ$2.76

$1.25 COP 4,531

29.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.14

$1.39 COP 5,060

33.09%

Eggs

$6.21 NZ$10.55

$2.26 COP 8,229

174.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.09

$4.33 COP 15.8K

91.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 NZ$16.05

$5.84 COP 21.2K

61.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 NZ$21.13

$8.83 COP 32.1K

40.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 NZ$4.22

$2.24 COP 8,159

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.08

$1.08 COP 3,911

67.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.12

$1.53 COP 5,563

58.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.23

$1.37 COP 4,987

124.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.56

$1.13 COP 4,109

84.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.05

$1.12 COP 4,067

60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 NZ$3.58

$0.85 COP 3,080

148.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.14

$0.91 COP 3,305

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.34 NZ$34.58

$2.33 COP 8,477

772.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 NZ$17.70

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-6.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.15

$1.19 COP 4,342

105.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NZ$4.60

$2.37 COP 8,617

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 NZ$5.16

$0.79 COP 2,859

283.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 NZ$108

$41.13 COP 149.6K

54.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.48

$1.44 COP 5,223

82.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.31

$1.91 COP 6,952

1.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.17 NZ$59.8

$8.02 COP 29.2K

338.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.93

$0.94 COP 3,410

82.98%

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

$26.7K NZ$45.5K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

49.22%

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

$22.9K NZ$38.9K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-14.52%

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

$107 NZ$182

$84.0 COP 305.4K

27.17%

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

$36.98 NZ$62.9

$9.60 COP 34.9K

285.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 NZ$67.1

$24.16 COP 87.9K

63.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 NZ$63.0

$25.88 COP 94.1K

43.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.10 NZ$20.57

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-36.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 NZ$15.43

$3.92 COP 14.2K

131.63%

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

$742 NZ$1,261

$306 COP 1.1M

142.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

102.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 NZ$168

$57.9 COP 210.6K

70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 NZ$98.9

$31.82 COP 115.7K

82.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NZ$180

$99.9 COP 363.3K

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 NZ$220

$107 COP 389.7K

20.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 NZ$1,641

$487 COP 1.8M

98.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 NZ$2,062

$368 COP 1.3M

229.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 NZ$3,552

$826 COP 3.0M

153.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NZ$2,666

$716 COP 2.6M

118.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,762 NZ$8,095

$2,925 COP 10.6M

62.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,478 NZ$5,912

$1,407 COP 5.1M

147.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,642 NZ$4,491

$546 COP 2.0M

384.28%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $965 in Cambridge and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 384% 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: $36.00 in Cambridge vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 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 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cambridge pays 384% 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: $965 in Cambridge versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,200 per month in Cambridge versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 113% 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 $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,200 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 113% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.