Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Medellin $3,199

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 96% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$8.30 COP 26.3K

137.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$46.91 COP 148.7K

71.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$9.24 COP 29.3K

28.68%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.05 COP 9,676

78.69%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.80 COP 5,707

35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.38 COP 4,382

7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.24 COP 10.3K

140.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$5.56 COP 17.6K

28.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.50 COP 4,760

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.37 COP 7,508

89.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.70 COP 5,377

250.59%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$2.96 COP 9,379

120.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$10.22 COP 32.4K

49.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$9.74 COP 30.9K

21.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$13.90 COP 44.1K

41.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.13 COP 13.1K

44.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.53 COP 4,839

132.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.22 COP 7,052

89.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.27 COP 7,194

138.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.99 COP 6,311

50.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.67 COP 5,285

76.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.18 COP 3,742

154.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.24 COP 3,919

103.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$3.87 COP 12.3K

277.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.78 COP 43.7K

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.66 COP 5,256

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.40 COP 7,615

42.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.24 COP 3,944

132.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-2.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.28 COP 4,044

128.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.15 COP 6,803

-1.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$8.37 COP 26.5K

406.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.35 COP 4,288

-19.26%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-19.62%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-24.19%

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

$247 $247

$167 COP 528.4K

48.44%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$13.62 COP 43.2K

274.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$29.12 COP 92.3K

71.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-45.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$6.97 COP 22.1K

187.37%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$790 COP 2.5M

154.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

78.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-43.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$58.2 COP 184.4K

33.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$139 COP 440.7K

-36.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$98.9 COP 313.5K

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$1,028 COP 3.3M

112.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$620 COP 2.0M

177.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$1,881 COP 6.0M

41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,008 COP 3.2M

147.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-67.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-32.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$663 COP 2.1M

502.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

10.94

-39.03%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, 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

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 63.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 37.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 39.9% $139

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 47.9% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 14% $21

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 5.7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 9% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 503% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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 →

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Elizabeth, NJ Medellin 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, 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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Medellin differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 503% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.