Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Beacon, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,400 in Beacon, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Beacon, NY, United States
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Beacon, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$3,400
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Beacon, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Beacon, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,400 in Beacon, NY, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Beacon, NY $3,400

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,851 in Beacon, NY, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Beacon, NY $4,851

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,303 in Beacon, NY, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Beacon, NY $6,303

Medellin is about 52% cheaper than Beacon, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Beacon, NY sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Beacon, NY by 150%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$19.31 $19.31
-58.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$79.4 $79.4
-40.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$11.19 $11.19
-15.10%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$5.20 $5.20
-42.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.22 $2.22
-18.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$1.52 $1.52
-7.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$5.94 $5.94
-46.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$4.96 $4.96
15.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.34 $1.34
12.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$3.45 $3.45
-31.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$4.56 $4.56
-61.18%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$5.92 $5.92
-51.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$12.65 $12.65
-19.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$12.00 $12.00
-17.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$17.13 $17.13
-18.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$4.74 $4.74
-16.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.78 $1.78
-12.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$4.32 $4.32
-49.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$5.21 $5.21
-58.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$4.13 $4.13
-52.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$3.50 $3.50
-54.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$2.88 $2.88
-60.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$2.20 $2.20
-43.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$11.69 $11.69
-66.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$15.06 $15.06
-9.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.75 $1.75
-5.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$3.04 $3.04
-25.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$195 $195
-60.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$3.09 $3.09
-58.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$2.03 $2.03
0.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$23.98 $23.98
-64.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.01 $1.01
33.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$27.6K $27.6K
23.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$26.3K $26.3K
31.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$211 $211
-19.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$75.2 $75.2
-81.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$64.9 $64.9
-56.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$91.7 $91.7
-52.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$12.23 $12.23
-43.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$1,230 $1,230
-35.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$23.5K $23.5K
-61.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$38.59 $38.59
119.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$58.4 $58.4
-0.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$74.8 $74.8
80.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$148 $148
-33.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$2,220 $2,220
-45.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$1,856 $1,856
-65.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$3,409 $3,409
-40.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$2,925 $2,925
-65.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$4,465 $4,465
-6.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$3,034 $3,034
-37.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Beacon, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.75
62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Beacon, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Beacon, NY
$1.9K 189% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Beacon, NY
$419 41.2% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Beacon, NY
$351 66.3% $140
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Beacon, NY
$305 79.9% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Beacon, NY
$144 14.8% $25
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Beacon, NY
$208 * 122% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Beacon, NY
$116 102% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,220 in Beacon, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $79 in Beacon, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $419 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Beacon, NY
🕒 Local time
01:10 1:10 AM
01:10 1:10 AM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
13,769
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Beacon, NY 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Beacon, NY

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
Medellin vs Beacon, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Beacon, NY?
Beacon, NY costs about 107% 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 Medellin and in Beacon, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $5,100 in Beacon, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Beacon, NY?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $2,220 in Beacon, NY.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and in Beacon, NY?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $1,230 in Beacon, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Beacon, NY?
Groceries cost about 41% more in Beacon, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Beacon, NY?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Beacon, NY at $3,400. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beacon, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 52% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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