Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, NC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,242 in Fayetteville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fayetteville, NC, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Fayetteville, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,242
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Fayetteville, NC vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Fayetteville, NC $2,242
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,169 per month in Fayetteville, NC vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Fayetteville, NC $3,169
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $4,097 per month in Fayetteville, NC vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Fayetteville, NC $4,097
  • Medellin $3,249

Fayetteville, NC costs about 32% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fayetteville, NC and Medellin sit above the global median – Fayetteville, NC by 66%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.60 $18.60
$8.34 COP 27.0K
123.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 $60.9
$46.53 COP 150.9K
30.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.03 $12.03
$9.47 COP 30.7K
27.03%
Cappuccino
$4.84 $4.84
$3.13 COP 10.2K
54.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.77 COP 5,727
25.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.42 COP 4,619
19.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 $5.15
$3.15 COP 10.2K
63.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.31 $6.31
$5.70 COP 18.5K
10.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.53 COP 4,969
-43.14%
White Bread (500g)
$3.77 $3.77
$2.29 COP 7,429
64.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$1.94 COP 6,306
69.59%
Eggs
$3.73 $3.73
$3.07 COP 9,942
21.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.26 $10.26
$9.99 COP 32.4K
2.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.63 $8.63
$10.45 COP 33.9K
-17.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.91 $16.91
$13.96 COP 45.3K
21.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.04 $4.04
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-0.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.53 COP 4,956
47.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.03 $4.03
$2.10 COP 6,823
91.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.47 $4.47
$2.29 COP 7,437
95.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 $2.34
$2.11 COP 6,839
10.90%
Onion (1kg)
$3.20 $3.20
$1.71 COP 5,542
87.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.17 COP 3,794
53.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.58 COP 5,123
29.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.70 $8.70
$3.91 COP 12.7K
122.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.35 $12.35
$14.04 COP 45.5K
-12.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 $1.61
$1.76 COP 5,712
-8.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.71 COP 8,793
12.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.18 COP 3,825
7.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.48 $40.48
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-46.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.70 $3.70
$1.81 COP 5,859
104.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.13 COP 6,904
-17.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.62 $23.62
$8.13 COP 26.4K
190.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.28 COP 4,135
-22.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K $27.0K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-21.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-22.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 $180
$178 COP 576.3K
1.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$13.89 COP 45.0K
407.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.0 $64.0
$30.74 COP 99.7K
108.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.88 $17.88
$41.94 COP 136.0K
-57.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.88 $39.88
$16.80 COP 54.5K
137.38%
Cinema Ticket
$13.10 $13.10
$7.47 COP 24.2K
75.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$759 $759
$790 COP 2.6M
-3.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K $14.6K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
18.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.6 $50.6
$86.3 COP 279.9K
-41.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.15 $37.15
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-37.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.2 $71.2
$138 COP 448.6K
-48.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 $117
$98.8 COP 320.4K
18.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 $1,337
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-0.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,048 $1,048
$667 COP 2.2M
57.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,252 $2,252
$1,976 COP 6.4M
13.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,463 $1,463
$1,033 COP 3.3M
41.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,861 $1,861
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-54.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,441 $1,441
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-25.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fayetteville, NC
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,053 $3,053
$646 COP 2.1M
372.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.36
10.94
-41.86%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, NC: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, NC
$1K
Medellin
$667 36.4% $381
Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, NC
$355
Medellin
$307 13.5% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, NC
$315
Medellin
$222 29.3% $92
Eating Out
Fayetteville, NC
$297
Medellin
$173 41.9% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, NC
$124
Medellin
$172 38.9% $48
Getting Around
Fayetteville, NC
$58
Medellin
$93 61% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, NC
$44
Medellin
$57 29.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,337 in Fayetteville, NC versus $1,341 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 in Fayetteville, NC are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Fayetteville, NC versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fayetteville, NC
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
17:34 5:34 PM
17:34 5:34 PM
Same time as Fayetteville, NC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,949
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fayetteville, NC Medellin 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fayetteville, NC
  • 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
Fayetteville, NC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fayetteville, NC or Medellin?
Fayetteville, NC costs about 32% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fayetteville, NC and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,362 per month in Fayetteville, NC and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Fayetteville, NC compared to Medellin?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,337 in Fayetteville, NC and $1,341 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Are groceries more expensive in Fayetteville, NC or in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Fayetteville, NC, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Fayetteville, NC and in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Fayetteville, NC and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Fayetteville, NC or in Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,242 in Fayetteville, NC and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Fayetteville, NC or Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,242 in Fayetteville, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Fayetteville, NC or to Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fayetteville, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Fayetteville, NC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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