Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
Medellin $3,186

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 137% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lee, NJ 186% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$8.09 COP 25.4K

209.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$47.05 COP 148.0K

72.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$9.50 COP 29.9K

15.26%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.01 COP 9,485

77.74%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.80 COP 5,660

21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.41 COP 4,443

7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.18 COP 9,990

157.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$5.75 COP 18.1K

39.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.51 COP 4,751

-11.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.38 COP 7,480

61.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.77 COP 5,573

283.62%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.89 COP 9,093

60.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$10.19 COP 32.1K

23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$9.87 COP 31.1K

20.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$13.99 COP 44.0K

25.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.97 COP 12.5K

37.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.55 COP 4,883

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$2.18 COP 6,867

187.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.18 COP 6,870

148.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.96 COP 6,174

107.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.59 COP 5,000

146.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.15 COP 3,604

152.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.24 COP 3,911

120.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$3.96 COP 12.5K

197.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.66 COP 5,222

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.26 COP 7,104

-10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.17 COP 3,674

131.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$77.4 COP 243.4K

74.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.27 COP 3,989

137.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.05 COP 6,442

2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$8.55 COP 26.9K

182.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.35 COP 4,237

-36.30%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-19.01%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-23.70%

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

$215 $215

$170 COP 533.7K

26.94%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$13.55 COP 42.6K

459.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$28.07 COP 88.3K

128.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$43.70 COP 137.5K

190.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$6.91 COP 21.7K

110.56%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$797 COP 2.5M

154.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

160.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$135 COP 424.6K

-42.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$1,208 COP 3.8M

142.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$642 COP 2.0M

258.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$2,028 COP 6.4M

222.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$1,012 COP 3.2M

386.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$4,170 COP 13.1M

3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$1,910 COP 6.0M

95.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$657 COP 2.1M

905.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.94

-38.30%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 72.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 32.1% $141

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 54.1% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 40.5% $144

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 41.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 63.1% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 43.5% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h behind Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Fort Lee, NJ Medellin 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lee, 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Fort Lee, NJ is about 10 times higher, 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: $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,639 in Medellin – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 43% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, 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 58% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.