Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,205 in Carlsbad, NM, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, NM
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Carlsbad, NM Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,205

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carlsbad, NM and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Carlsbad, NM and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,205 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $2,205
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,139 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $3,139
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,074 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $4,074
Medellin $3,199

Carlsbad, NM costs about 36% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Carlsbad, NM and Medellin sit above the global median – Carlsbad, NM by 63%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 $17.22

$8.30 COP 26.3K

107.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.18 $44.18

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-5.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.24 COP 29.3K

28.25%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.05 COP 9,676

83.61%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.80 COP 5,707

-15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.38 COP 4,382

-9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.24 COP 10.3K

50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$5.56 COP 17.6K

28.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.50 COP 4,760

-48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.37 COP 7,508

51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.70 COP 5,377

117.65%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$2.96 COP 9,379

57.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$10.22 COP 32.4K

31.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$9.74 COP 30.9K

25.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$13.90 COP 44.1K

27.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.13 COP 13.1K

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.53 COP 4,839

35.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.22 COP 7,052

51.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.27 COP 7,194

73.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.99 COP 6,311

12.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.67 COP 5,285

44.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.18 COP 3,742

46.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.24 COP 3,919

48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 $10.76

$3.87 COP 12.3K

178.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$13.78 COP 43.7K

7.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.66 COP 5,256

46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.40 COP 7,615

52.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.28 COP 4,044

88.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.15 COP 6,803

10.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.35 COP 4,288

-28.89%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-19.78%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-30.52%

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

$174 $174

$167 COP 528.4K

4.57%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$13.62 COP 43.2K

331.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$29.12 COP 92.3K

158.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.10 $41.10

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 $9.95

$6.97 COP 22.1K

42.75%

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

$682 $682

$790 COP 2.5M

-13.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-32.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 $31.94

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-45.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$139 COP 440.7K

-39.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 $99.6

$98.9 COP 313.5K

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 $1,219

$1,028 COP 3.3M

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$620 COP 2.0M

64.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 $1,957

$1,881 COP 6.0M

4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$1,008 COP 3.2M

56.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,020 $2,020

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-49.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,971 $1,971

$1,702 COP 5.4M

15.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,217 $4,217

$663 COP 2.1M

535.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

10.94

-48.72%

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

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Carlsbad, NM

$1K 46.2%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 39.2% $399

Groceries & Markets

Carlsbad, NM

$389 17.6%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 23.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlsbad, NM

$308 14%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 32.1% $99

Eating Out

Carlsbad, NM

$290 13.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 41.2% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Carlsbad, NM

$124 5.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 39.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Carlsbad, NM

$61 2.8%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 3.2% $2

Getting Around

Carlsbad, NM

$14 * 0.7%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 567% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,219 in Carlsbad, NM versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 536% higher in Carlsbad, NM, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Carlsbad, NM versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Carlsbad, NM vs $298 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h ahead of Carlsbad, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,746

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlsbad, NM Medellin 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlsbad, NM
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Carlsbad, NM vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,205 in Carlsbad, NM, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,307 per month in Carlsbad, NM and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Carlsbad, NM and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Carlsbad, NM, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Carlsbad, NM at $2,205. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlsbad, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $2,205 in Carlsbad, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlsbad, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.