Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,623 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,623 per month in Lowell, MA vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Lowell, MA $2,623
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $4,189 per month in Lowell, MA vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Lowell, MA $4,189
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,755 per month in Lowell, MA vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Lowell, MA $5,755
Medellin $3,249

Lowell, MA costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lowell, MA and Medellin sit above the global median – Lowell, MA by 94%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 $16.58

$8.34 COP 27.0K

98.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$46.53 COP 150.9K

52.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-7.18%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.13 COP 10.2K

58.15%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.77 COP 5,728

14.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.42 COP 4,620

15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.15 COP 10.2K

61.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$5.70 COP 18.5K

37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.53 COP 4,971

-43.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.29 COP 7,431

-3.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.94 COP 6,308

175.26%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.07 COP 9,945

27.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$9.99 COP 32.4K

12.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-15.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 $17.87

$13.96 COP 45.3K

28.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-32.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 COP 4,957

-20.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.10 COP 6,825

214.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.29 COP 7,439

146.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.11 COP 6,841

-23.70%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.71 COP 5,543

152.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.17 COP 3,795

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.58 COP 5,125

41.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$3.91 COP 12.7K

255.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$14.04 COP 45.6K

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.76 COP 5,714

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.71 COP 8,796

43.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.18 COP 3,826

56.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-28.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.81 COP 5,860

113.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.13 COP 6,906

-20.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 $28.74

$8.13 COP 26.4K

253.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.28 COP 4,136

-29.69%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-21.26%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-20.65%

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

$188 $188

$178 COP 576.4K

5.54%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$13.89 COP 45.0K

275.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$30.74 COP 99.7K

116.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.27 $39.27

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.32 $12.32

$16.80 COP 54.5K

-26.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$7.47 COP 24.2K

88.35%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$790 COP 2.6M

76.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.3K $44.3K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

259.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-34.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 $37.87

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-36.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$138 COP 448.7K

-43.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 $70.5

$98.8 COP 320.5K

-28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 $1,647

$1,341 COP 4.3M

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$667 COP 2.2M

113.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,643 $3,643

$1,976 COP 6.4M

84.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$1,033 COP 3.3M

199.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 $3,527

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-13.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 $3,540

$1,940 COP 6.3M

82.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,031 $4,031

$646 COP 2.1M

523.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

10.94

-44.24%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.2%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 53.1% $755

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$368 14.1%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 16.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$306 11.7%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 27.4% $84

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$274 10.5%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 37% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.2%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 56.9% $62

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$74 2.8%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 25.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$67 2.6%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 15.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,647 in Lowell, MA 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 Lowell, MA are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Lowell, MA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

Same time as Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lowell, MA Medellin 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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

Lowell, MA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lowell, MA is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,934 per month in Lowell, MA and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,647 in Lowell, MA.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Lowell, MA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,396 per month in Lowell, MA and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Lowell, MA at $2,623. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lowell, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lowell, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.