Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bellevue, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Bellevue, NE
🇺🇸 United States
$2,275
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bellevue, NE

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 Bellevue, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Bellevue, NE $2,275

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,435 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Bellevue, NE $3,435

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,596 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Bellevue, NE $4,596

Medellin is about 29% cheaper than Bellevue, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Bellevue, NE sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Bellevue, NE by 69%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$20.19 $20.19
-60.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$77.2 $77.2
-40.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$12.08 $12.08
-21.36%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$5.94 $5.94
-47.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.49 $2.49
-26.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.88 $1.88
-26.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$6.08 $6.08
-49.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$7.66 $7.66
-28.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$0.87 $0.87
66.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$3.19 $3.19
-26.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$4.46 $4.46
-62.33%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$4.24 $4.24
-32.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$11.38 $11.38
-10.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$9.91 $9.91
-3.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$15.54 $15.54
-9.65%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$4.52 $4.52
-9.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.55 $1.55
-3.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$4.38 $4.38
-50.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$4.34 $4.34
-46.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.89 $1.89
2.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$2.95 $2.95
-44.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$2.40 $2.40
-52.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$2.47 $2.47
-49.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$8.05 $8.05
-50.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$15.53 $15.53
-14.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.99 $1.99
-14.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$5.60 $5.60
-57.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$1.96 $1.96
-38.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$78.8 $78.8
-2.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$3.01 $3.01
-56.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.35 $1.35
58.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$25.45 $25.45
-66.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.02 $1.02
27.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$34.8K $34.8K
-19.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$27.1K $27.1K
30.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$202 $202
-14.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$65.1 $65.1
-79.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$72.2 $72.2
-60.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$42.16 $42.16
7.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$40.14 $40.14
-57.55%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$14.83 $14.83
-57.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$971 $971
-20.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$19.4K $19.4K
-53.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$59.6 $59.6
45.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$43.97 $43.97
29.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$98.3 $98.3
38.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$123 $123
-20.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$1,121 $1,121
-5.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$909 $909
-32.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,859 $1,859
1.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,567 $1,567
-34.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,804 $2,804
44.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,440 $2,440
-31.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bellevue, NE
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$5,084 $5,084
-87.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.57
66.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, NE: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Bellevue, NE
$909 47.7% $293
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Bellevue, NE
$380 28.9% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Bellevue, NE
$339 58.3% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Bellevue, NE
$146 14.1% $24
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Bellevue, NE
$332 97.3% $164
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Bellevue, NE
$96 3.3% $3.1
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Bellevue, NE
$72 24.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,121 in Bellevue, NE. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 679% higher in Bellevue, NE, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $77.0 in Bellevue, NE. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $380 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Bellevue, NE
🕒 Local time
10:52 10:52 AM
10:52 10:52 AM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
151,854
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Bellevue, NE 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Bellevue, NE

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 Bellevue, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Bellevue, NE compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $2,275 in Bellevue, NE – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Bellevue, NE?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,412 in Bellevue, NE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Bellevue, NE?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $77.0 in Bellevue, NE. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Bellevue, NE?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $2,275 in Bellevue, NE. That's a gap of about 41%.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Bellevue, NE at $2,275. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellevue, NE it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Bellevue, NE?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,275 in Bellevue, NE. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Medellin or Bellevue, NE safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Medellin and Bellevue, NE?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellevue, NE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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