Cost of Living Comparison Between Charles Town, WV and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Charles Town, WV and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,756 in Charles Town, WV versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,050 in Charles Town, WV versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,344 in Charles Town, WV versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Charles Town, WV is roughly 171% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charles Town, WV is 106% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.21 $22.21

$5.93 COP 19.0K

274.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 $60.2

$33.12 COP 106.0K

81.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 $12.76

$7.12 COP 22.8K

79.21%

Cappuccino

$3.96 $3.96

$1.71 COP 5,457

131.58%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.05 COP 3,356

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.72 COP 2,311

181.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.72 COP 5,502

182.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 $7.70

$3.17 COP 10.2K

142.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.06 COP 3,408

10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.31 COP 4,192

180.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.27 $7.27

$1.33 COP 4,256

446.62%

Eggs

$6.57 $6.57

$2.28 COP 7,298

188.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.49 $19.49

$4.42 COP 14.1K

340.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 $11.02

$5.92 COP 18.9K

86.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$8.64 COP 27.7K

76.85%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.34 COP 7,504

200.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.10 COP 3,527

15.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.47 COP 4,698

267.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.95 $10.95

$1.38 COP 4,415

693.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.17 COP 3,754

139.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.17 COP 3,744

216.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.90 COP 2,890

212.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.84 COP 2,693

286.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.04 $8.04

$2.33 COP 7,449

245.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 $17.97

$11.92 COP 38.1K

50.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.15 COP 3,673

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.42 COP 7,749

41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.84 COP 2,687

145.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.41 COP 4,517

214.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.91 COP 6,127

-26.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.53 $29.53

$7.83 COP 25.0K

277.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.94 COP 3,020

-12.77%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

46.36%

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

$22.1K $22.1K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-18.57%

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

$216 $216

$83.3 COP 266.4K

159.85%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$9.66 COP 30.9K

453.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$24.22 COP 77.5K

180.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 $42.69

$25.22 COP 80.7K

69.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 $15.36

$4.07 COP 13.0K

277.40%

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

$1,879 $1,879

$307 COP 981.2K

512.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

287.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.38 $48.38

$60.0 COP 191.9K

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.82 $48.82

$32.65 COP 104.5K

49.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$101 COP 323.5K

15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$108 COP 345.7K

10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$476 COP 1.5M

243.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$379 COP 1.2M

257.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 $2,678

$816 COP 2.6M

227.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$707 COP 2.3M

214.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 $2,360

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-26.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$1,446 COP 4.6M

47.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-62.77%

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

Last update for Charles Town, WV: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Charles Town, WV and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Charles Town, WV vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $192 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

Charles Town, WV vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 171% lower than in Charles Town, WV. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,135 in Charles Town, WV and $1,527 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Charles Town, WV versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Charles Town, WV. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,756 per month in Charles Town, WV versus $1,018 in Medellin – a 171% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,756 in Charles Town, WV, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Charles Town, WV. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Charles Town, WV. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.