Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,435 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,435

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,435 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,435
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,750 per month in Malden, MA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,750
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $6,065 per month in Malden, MA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,065
Medellin $3,186

Malden, MA costs about 109% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malden, MA and Medellin sit above the global median – Malden, MA by 152%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.65 $19.65

$8.09 COP 26.1K

142.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 $95.0

$47.05 COP 151.9K

101.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.72 $13.72

$9.50 COP 30.7K

44.42%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$3.01 COP 9,735

76.41%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.80 COP 5,809

65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.41 COP 4,561

58.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.18 COP 10.3K

78.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.75 COP 18.6K

40.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.51 COP 4,876

-17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.38 COP 7,678

63.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$1.77 COP 5,720

210.17%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$2.89 COP 9,333

65.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.19 COP 32.9K

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$9.87 COP 31.9K

42.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$13.99 COP 45.2K

25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.97 COP 12.8K

67.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.55 COP 5,012

10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.18 COP 7,048

153.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$2.18 COP 7,051

152.29%

Potato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.96 COP 6,337

125.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.59 COP 5,132

18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.15 COP 3,699

125.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.24 COP 4,014

79.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 $13.06

$3.96 COP 12.8K

229.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.43 $13.43

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.66 COP 5,359

30.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.26 COP 7,291

94.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.17 COP 3,771

117.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

$77.4 COP 249.8K

14.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.27 COP 4,094

99.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.05 COP 6,612

-12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.47 $27.47

$8.55 COP 27.6K

221.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.35 COP 4,349

-19.26%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-18.00%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-22.86%

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

$247 $247

$170 COP 547.8K

45.43%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$13.55 COP 43.8K

300.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$28.07 COP 90.6K

206.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.66 $34.66

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-20.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$15.85 $15.85

$6.91 COP 22.3K

129.38%

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

$1,848 $1,848

$797 COP 2.6M

132.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

222.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 $37.57

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-35.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$135 COP 435.8K

-41.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$97.9 COP 316.0K

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 $2,422

$1,208 COP 3.9M

100.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 $1,975

$642 COP 2.1M

207.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 $3,534

$2,028 COP 6.5M

74.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$1,012 COP 3.3M

180.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,644 $4,644

$657 COP 2.1M

606.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malden, MA

$2K 57.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 67.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$446 13%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 33.4% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$387 11.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 45.4% $176

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$327 9.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 48.2% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$123 3.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 37.6% $46

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$110 3.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 14.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 13.3% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,422 in Malden, MA 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 Malden, MA are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Malden, MA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

Same time as Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 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).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malden, MA Medellin 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Malden, 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

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

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,152 per month in Malden, MA and $2,459 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 $1,208 there versus $2,422 in Malden, MA.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,848 per month in Malden, MA and $797 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 $1,639, than in Malden, MA at $3,435. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malden, 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, Malden, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.