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: $2,340 in Charles Town, WV versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,690 in Charles Town, WV versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,041 in Charles Town, WV versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Charles Town, WV is roughly 36% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charles Town, WV 70% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.78 $27.78

$8.03 COP 25.1K

245.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$48.26 COP 150.8K

25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$9.77 COP 30.5K

21.70%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$2.91 COP 9,095

41.24%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.94 COP 6,074

56.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.52 COP 4,754

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.09 COP 9,663

59.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.74 COP 17.9K

42.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.36 COP 4,262

-1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.39 COP 7,460

76.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$1.70 COP 5,314

324.12%

Eggs

$5.77 $5.77

$2.87 COP 8,967

101.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$9.94 COP 31.1K

72.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$10.78 COP 33.7K

2.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$14.73 COP 46.0K

6.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.09 COP 12.8K

71.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.57 COP 4,911

-15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.13 COP 6,642

135.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.21 COP 6,917

172.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.05 COP 6,396

40.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.50 COP 4,700

158.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.19 COP 3,718

115.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.16 COP 3,619

127.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$3.90 COP 12.2K

254.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 $16.27

$14.44 COP 45.1K

12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.58 COP 4,948

105.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.83 COP 8,836

95.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.17 COP 3,650

89.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.28 COP 4,014

204.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.09 COP 6,537

-24.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.30 $25.30

$8.62 COP 26.9K

193.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.30 COP 4,056

-25.38%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

9.37%

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

$22.3K $22.3K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-37.18%

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

$198 $198

$176 COP 550.1K

12.28%

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

$81.1 $81.1

$13.37 COP 41.8K

506.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$29.89 COP 93.4K

154.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.90 $36.90

$44.76 COP 139.8K

-17.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$6.20 COP 19.4K

189.84%

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

$1,416 $1,416

$793 COP 2.5M

78.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.1K $41.1K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

356.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 $73.3

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 $43.89

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-24.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$136 COP 425.9K

-24.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$103 COP 322.2K

34.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 $1,159

$1,060 COP 3.3M

9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 $904

$680 COP 2.1M

33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 $2,099

$2,012 COP 6.3M

4.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,169 COP 3.7M

68.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,047 $3,047

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-25.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$1,701 COP 5.3M

30.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

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

Last update for Charles Town, WV: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,159 in Charles Town, WV and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Charles Town, WV vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $303 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 36% 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 $3,509 in Charles Town, WV and $2,574 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: $1,159 in Charles Town, WV versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Charles Town, WV. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,340 per month in Charles Town, WV versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,340 in Charles Town, WV, a $2,500 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 $1,716 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 36% less than in Charles Town, WV. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.