Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jersey City, NJ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,854

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Jersey City, NJ $3,854
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,348 in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Jersey City, NJ $5,348
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,841 in Jersey City, NJ versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Jersey City, NJ $6,841
Medellin $3,190

Living in Jersey City, NJ is roughly 139% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.34 $25.34

$7.93 COP 25.2K

219.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$46.13 COP 146.3K

116.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$9.50 COP 30.1K

14.00%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$3.11 COP 9,866

73.63%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$1.83 COP 5,800

18.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.38 COP 4,360

14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 $8.11

$3.05 COP 9,672

165.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.50 COP 17.4K

48.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.45 COP 4,600

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.36 COP 7,496

77.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$1.68 COP 5,328

351.19%

Eggs

$5.68 $5.68

$2.86 COP 9,077

98.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 $12.52

$10.19 COP 32.3K

22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$9.53 COP 30.2K

22.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$14.04 COP 44.5K

23.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$4.07 COP 12.9K

29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.50 COP 4,742

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$2.17 COP 6,891

196.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.31 COP 7,310

165.37%

Potato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$1.93 COP 6,113

193.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.64 COP 5,196

132.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.13 COP 3,571

155.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.25 COP 3,954

124.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 $11.19

$3.99 COP 12.6K

180.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.79 $24.79

$13.35 COP 42.3K

85.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.70 COP 5,384

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.37 COP 7,525

132.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.21 COP 3,827

153.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$76.5 COP 242.5K

38.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.32 COP 4,179

122.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.14 COP 6,774

-6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

$8.47 COP 26.8K

185.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.30 COP 4,114

-13.85%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

31.35%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.24%

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

$209 $209

$172 COP 545.6K

21.63%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$13.37 COP 42.4K

447.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$28.73 COP 91.1K

125.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 $56.3

$45.24 COP 143.5K

24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.47 $43.47

$17.04 COP 54.0K

155.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.60 $14.60

$6.28 COP 19.9K

132.48%

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

$2,245 $2,245

$770 COP 2.4M

191.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

161.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.50 $41.50

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-51.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 $58.2

$57.1 COP 181.1K

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 $74.8

$137 COP 432.9K

-45.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$97.9 COP 310.4K

58.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,501 $3,501

$1,055 COP 3.3M

231.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 $2,282

$616 COP 2.0M

270.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,540 $5,540

$1,892 COP 6.0M

192.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,248 $3,248

$1,023 COP 3.2M

217.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,779 $7,779

$4,059 COP 12.9M

91.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,595 $5,595

$1,678 COP 5.3M

233.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,205 $6,205

$652 COP 2.1M

851.15%

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 Jersey City, NJ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jersey City, NJ

$2.3K 59.2%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 73% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Jersey City, NJ

$488 12.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 39.7% $194

Eating Out

Jersey City, NJ

$372 9.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 54.7% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jersey City, NJ

$347 9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 38.3% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Jersey City, NJ

$148 3.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 14.8% $22

Getting Around

Jersey City, NJ

$131 3.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 28.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Jersey City, NJ

$85 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 32.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 851% 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: $100 in Jersey City, NJ vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

1 h behind Jersey City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,449

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Jersey City, NJ Medellin 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Jersey City, NJ
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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

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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 851% higher in Jersey City, 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: $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 38% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,245 in Jersey City, NJ versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Jersey City, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jersey City, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.