Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,940 in Cary, NC versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,386 in Cary, NC versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,833 in Cary, NC versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 190% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cary, NC is 119% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$5.99 COP 21.4K

198.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.0 $97.0

$32.86 COP 117.4K

195.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 $10.43

$7.09 COP 25.3K

47.11%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$1.71 COP 6,115

190.06%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$1.10 COP 3,924

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.78 COP 2,781

139.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.68 COP 5,997

202.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.07 COP 11.0K

117.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.09 COP 3,906

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.26 COP 4,508

334.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.38 COP 4,922

355.07%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$2.19 COP 7,827

116.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.23 $20.23

$4.40 COP 15.7K

359.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$5.63 COP 20.1K

122.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 $17.92

$8.89 COP 31.8K

101.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.34 COP 8,349

135.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.06 COP 3,777

66.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.50 COP 5,374

177.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$1.38 COP 4,924

383.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.15 COP 4,111

117.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.16 COP 4,155

197.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.89 COP 3,182

231.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.84 COP 2,997

135.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$2.28 COP 8,145

310.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.20 COP 4,284

100.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.47 COP 8,824

96.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.86 COP 3,056

110.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$41.40 COP 147.9K

43.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.47 COP 5,264

140.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.96 COP 7,009

-18.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 $28.81

$7.74 COP 27.6K

272.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.95 COP 3,409

-15.79%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

61.54%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

10.10%

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

$169 $169

$82.3 COP 293.7K

105.52%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$9.50 COP 33.9K

429.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$24.23 COP 86.5K

158.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 $75.3

$25.89 COP 92.4K

190.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 $13.58

$3.93 COP 14.0K

245.55%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$309 COP 1.1M

381.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

293.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.21 $48.21

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-17.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 $31.94

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$103 COP 366.4K

25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$108 COP 387.2K

25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$476 COP 1.7M

270.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$379 COP 1.4M

317.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$838 COP 3.0M

218.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$724 COP 2.6M

279.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,862 $2,862

$2,791 COP 10.0M

2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,652 $2,652

$1,211 COP 4.3M

118.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,996 $5,996

$512 COP 1.8M

1071.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

13.43

-53.02%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Cary, NC and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 1072% 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: $97.0 in Cary, NC vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $188 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

Cary, NC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 190% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cary, NC pays 1072% 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: $1,765 in Cary, NC versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,491 in Cary, NC versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,940 in Cary, NC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. 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 Cary, NC, 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 190% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.