Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacksonville, FL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jacksonville, FL, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Jacksonville, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,487
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,487 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Jacksonville, FL $2,487
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,787 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Jacksonville, FL $3,787
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,087 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Jacksonville, FL $5,087
  • Medellin $3,186

Jacksonville, FL costs about 52% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jacksonville, FL and Medellin sit above the global median – Jacksonville, FL by 83%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.69 $19.69
$8.09 COP 26.1K
143.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 $102
$47.05 COP 151.9K
116.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 $11.37
$9.50 COP 30.7K
19.68%
Cappuccino
$5.58 $5.58
$3.01 COP 9,734
85.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.80 COP 5,809
72.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.41 COP 4,560
54.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.98 $4.98
$3.18 COP 10.3K
56.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 $7.19
$5.75 COP 18.6K
25.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.51 COP 4,875
-33.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.35 $3.35
$2.38 COP 7,677
40.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 $3.73
$1.77 COP 5,719
110.73%
Eggs
$4.40 $4.40
$2.89 COP 9,332
52.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.72 $13.72
$10.19 COP 32.9K
34.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.57 $9.57
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-3.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$13.99 COP 45.2K
16.08%
Apples (1kg)
$4.82 $4.82
$3.97 COP 12.8K
21.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.55 COP 5,011
-8.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$2.18 COP 7,047
82.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 $4.53
$2.18 COP 7,050
107.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.96 COP 6,336
49.49%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.59 COP 5,131
92.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.15 COP 3,698
132.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.24 COP 4,014
101.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.34 $9.34
$3.96 COP 12.8K
135.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.63 $14.63
$13.68 COP 44.2K
6.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.66 COP 5,359
23.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 $3.21
$2.26 COP 7,290
42.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.17 COP 3,770
51.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.5 $64.5
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-16.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.27 COP 4,094
18.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.17 $1.17
$2.05 COP 6,611
-42.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.75 $13.75
$8.55 COP 27.6K
60.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.35 COP 4,348
-22.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K $31.3K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
-8.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-24.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 $218
$170 COP 547.7K
28.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.4 $64.4
$13.55 COP 43.7K
375.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.2 $68.2
$28.07 COP 90.6K
142.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.02 $35.02
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-19.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.49 $6.49
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-62.25%
Cinema Ticket
$14.76 $14.76
$6.91 COP 22.3K
113.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,318 $1,318
$797 COP 2.6M
65.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K $12.0K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
31.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.1 $64.1
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-24.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.85 $47.85
$58.0 COP 187.1K
-17.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$135 COP 435.7K
-17.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$151 $151
$97.9 COP 316.0K
54.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,651 $1,651
$1,208 COP 3.9M
36.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,118 $1,118
$642 COP 2.1M
74.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,590 $2,590
$2,028 COP 6.5M
27.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 $1,963
$1,012 COP 3.3M
93.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,356 $2,356
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-43.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,066 $2,066
$1,910 COP 6.2M
8.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jacksonville, FL
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,010 $4,010
$657 COP 2.1M
510.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
10.94
-38.85%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, FL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jacksonville, FL
$1.1K
Medellin
$642 42.6% $477
Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, FL
$386
Medellin
$297 23.2% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, FL
$350
Medellin
$211 39.7% $139
Eating Out
Jacksonville, FL
$319
Medellin
$170 46.8% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, FL
$169
Medellin
$169 0.1% $0.1
Getting Around
Jacksonville, FL
$79
Medellin
$94 18.5% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, FL
$65
Medellin
$58 10.8% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Jacksonville, FL versus $1,208 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 Jacksonville, FL are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Jacksonville, FL versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Jacksonville, FL
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
09:32 9:32 AM
09:32 9:32 AM
Same time as Jacksonville, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
949,611
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jacksonville, FL Medellin 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • 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
Jacksonville, FL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jacksonville, FL or Medellin?
Jacksonville, FL costs about 52% 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 Jacksonville, FL and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,730 per month in Jacksonville, FL and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Jacksonville, FL or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,651 in Jacksonville, FL.
How do dining costs compare in Jacksonville, FL and in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Jacksonville, FL and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Jacksonville, FL compared to Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 34% cheaper.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Jacksonville, FL or to Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jacksonville, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Jacksonville, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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