Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bethel, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,651 in Bethel, AK, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
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Bethel, AK Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bethel, AK

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 Bethel, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,651 in Bethel, AK.

Medellin $1,639
Bethel, AK $2,651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,886 in Bethel, AK.

Medellin $2,413
Bethel, AK $3,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $5,121 in Bethel, AK.

Medellin $3,186
Bethel, AK $5,121

Living in Medellin costs roughly 38% less than in Bethel, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bethel, AK 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$20.21 $20.21

-59.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$75.7 $75.7

-37.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$11.47 $11.47

-17.18%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$5.30 $5.30

-43.21%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$2.74 $2.74

-34.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.96 $1.96

-28.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$6.02 $6.02

-47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$7.40 $7.40

-22.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.01 $1.01

49.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$3.52 $3.52

-32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$4.27 $4.27

-58.55%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$4.29 $4.29

-32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$12.33 $12.33

-17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$11.41 $11.41

-13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$17.34 $17.34

-19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$4.98 $4.98

-20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.64 $1.64

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$4.40 $4.40

-50.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$4.61 $4.61

-52.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$2.78 $2.78

-29.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$2.95 $2.95

-46.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$2.10 $2.10

-45.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$2.29 $2.29

-45.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$9.98 $9.98

-60.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$14.84 $14.84

-7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.92 $1.92

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$3.27 $3.27

-30.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$1.95 $1.95

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$63.2 $63.2

22.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$3.14 $3.14

-59.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.76 $1.76

16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$29.48 $29.48

-71.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.02 $1.02

32.35%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$28.1K $28.1K

21.17%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$26.2K $26.2K

32.47%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$196 $196

-13.45%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$58.9 $58.9

-76.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$70.8 $70.8

-60.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$42.45 $42.45

2.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$13.96 $13.96

-50.50%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$1,425 $1,425

-44.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$23.6K $23.6K

-61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$53.0 $53.0

59.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$41.55 $41.55

39.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$89.3 $89.3

51.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$116 $116

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,584 $1,584

-23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,316 $1,316

-51.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,537 $2,537

-20.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,183 $2,183

-53.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,740 $2,740

52.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,372 $2,372

-19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 25, 2026

Last update for Bethel, AK: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bethel, AK

$1.3K 49.7% 105% $675

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bethel, AK

$397 15% 33.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bethel, AK

$326 12.3% 54.2% $114

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bethel, AK

$323 12.2% 90.7% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bethel, AK

$135 5.1% 20.2% $34

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bethel, AK

$83 3.1% 11.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bethel, AK

$70 2.7% 22.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,584 in Bethel, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $76 in Bethel, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $397 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

10:13 10:13 AM

3 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

6,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bethel, AK 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bethel, AK

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 Bethel, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,651 in Bethel, AK, so Medellin is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $3,976 in Bethel, AK to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,584 in Bethel, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $2,651 in Bethel, AK – Medellin is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bethel, AK runs roughly 18% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,651 in Bethel, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bethel, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.