Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Clifton, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,771
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Clifton, NJ 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 Clifton, NJ and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,771 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Clifton, NJ $2,771
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $4,035 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Clifton, NJ $4,035
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $5,299 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Clifton, NJ $5,299
  • Medellin $3,199

Clifton, NJ costs about 71% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Clifton, NJ and Medellin sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 105%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.14 $22.14
$8.30 COP 26.3K
166.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.7 $78.7
$46.91 COP 148.7K
67.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.83 $12.83
$9.24 COP 29.3K
38.85%
Cappuccino
$6.41 $6.41
$3.05 COP 9,676
110.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.80 COP 5,707
35.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.38 COP 4,382
29.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 $7.91
$3.24 COP 10.3K
144.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.05 $7.05
$5.56 COP 17.6K
26.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.50 COP 4,760
-11.33%
White Bread (500g)
$4.61 $4.61
$2.37 COP 7,508
94.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.09 $6.09
$1.70 COP 5,377
258.24%
Eggs
$5.80 $5.80
$2.96 COP 9,379
95.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.90 $13.90
$10.22 COP 32.4K
36.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.09 $10.09
$9.74 COP 30.9K
3.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.68 $18.68
$13.90 COP 44.1K
34.39%
Apples (1kg)
$5.92 $5.92
$4.13 COP 13.1K
43.34%
Banana (1kg)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.53 COP 4,839
52.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.21 $6.21
$2.22 COP 7,052
179.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 $5.26
$2.27 COP 7,194
131.72%
Potato (1kg)
$3.52 $3.52
$1.99 COP 6,311
76.88%
Onion (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.67 COP 5,285
159.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.18 COP 3,742
165.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.24 COP 3,919
112.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.06 $15.06
$3.87 COP 12.3K
289.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.21 $15.21
$13.78 COP 43.7K
10.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.66 COP 5,256
7.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 $3.63
$2.40 COP 7,615
51.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.30 $4.30
$1.24 COP 3,944
246.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 $2.95
$1.28 COP 4,044
130.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 $2.19
$2.15 COP 6,803
1.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.36 $42.36
$8.37 COP 26.5K
406.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.35 COP 4,288
-16.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K $33.1K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-4.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-26.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$167 COP 528.4K
31.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$13.62 COP 43.2K
272.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.5 $66.5
$29.12 COP 92.3K
128.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.05 $29.05
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-35.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.63 $20.63
$6.97 COP 22.1K
195.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,967 $1,967
$790 COP 2.5M
149.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K $16.3K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
79.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.73 $31.73
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-63.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.32 $20.32
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-65.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 $109
$139 COP 440.7K
-21.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 $138
$98.9 COP 313.5K
39.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,348 $1,348
$1,028 COP 3.3M
31.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,376 $1,376
$620 COP 2.0M
122.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,860 $2,860
$1,881 COP 6.0M
52.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,215 $2,215
$1,008 COP 3.2M
119.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,457 $8,457
$3,988 COP 12.6M
112.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Clifton, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,324 $4,324
$663 COP 2.1M
551.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
10.94
-37.84%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Clifton, NJ
$1.4K
Medellin
$619 55% $757
Groceries & Markets
Clifton, NJ
$460
Medellin
$298 35.2% $162
Eating Out
Clifton, NJ
$363
Medellin
$171 52.9% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Clifton, NJ
$336
Medellin
$209 37.7% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Clifton, NJ
$135
Medellin
$173 28.4% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Clifton, NJ
$70
Medellin
$59 16% $11
Getting Around
Clifton, NJ
$31 *
Medellin
$95 206% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Clifton, NJ 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 552% higher in Clifton, NJ, 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 $79.0 in Clifton, NJ versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $460 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
19:49 7:49 PM
18:49 6:49 PM
1 h behind Clifton, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,606
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Clifton, NJ Medellin 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Clifton, NJ
  • 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
Clifton, NJ vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Clifton, NJ and in Medellin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Clifton, NJ compared to Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,157 per month in Clifton, NJ and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Clifton, NJ and Medellin?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Clifton, NJ or Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 71%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Clifton, NJ and Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Clifton, NJ and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Clifton, NJ at $2,771. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Clifton, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Clifton, NJ and Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $2,771 in Clifton, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Clifton, NJ and Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Clifton, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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