Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brooklyn, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Brooklyn, NY $4,230

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $6,364 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Brooklyn, NY $6,364

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $8,497 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Brooklyn, NY $8,497

Medellin is about 60% cheaper than Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Brooklyn, NY sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Brooklyn, NY by 213%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$20.37 $20.37

-59.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$107 $107

-56.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$11.86 $11.86

-20.15%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$5.49 $5.49

-42.99%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$2.64 $2.64

-32.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$2.27 $2.27

-37.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$7.82 $7.82

-59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$8.90 $8.90

-35.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.67 $1.67

-8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$4.58 $4.58

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$7.02 $7.02

-72.36%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$6.59 $6.59

-53.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$16.57 $16.57

-39.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$17.01 $17.01

-38.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$19.96 $19.96

-30.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$7.93 $7.93

-48.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$3.68 $3.68

-58.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$5.23 $5.23

-59.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$6.04 $6.04

-62.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$4.02 $4.02

-47.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$4.79 $4.79

-64.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$2.64 $2.64

-55.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$2.43 $2.43

-34.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$15.04 $15.04

-74.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$21.33 $21.33

-34.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$2.74 $2.74

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$3.26 $3.26

-16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$2.94 $2.94

-59.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$183 $183

-58.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$2.96 $2.96

-38.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$2.14 $2.14

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$42.63 $42.63

-80.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.14 $1.14

12.28%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$31.2K $31.2K

10.26%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$25.9K $25.9K

31.78%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$219 $219

-18.92%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$60.5 $60.5

-77.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$61.3 $61.3

-49.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$123 $123

-65.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$35.28 $35.28

-52.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$20.06 $20.06

-62.76%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$3,022 $3,022

-73.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$52.2K $52.2K

-76.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$70.0 $70.0

23.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$76.8 $76.8

-22.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$122 $122

13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$118 $118

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$3,827 $3,827

-64.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$2,454 $2,454

-72.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$7,537 $7,537

-73.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$4,441 $4,441

-76.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$12.4K $12.4K

-66.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$7,713 $7,713

-74.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$3,614 $3,614

-82.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.78

61.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58% 268% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13% 78.5% $241

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 53.3% $119

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1% 97.5% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1% 1.1% $2

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9% 123% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9% 186% $106

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brooklyn, NY are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $107 in Brooklyn, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $549 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,736,074

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Brooklyn, NY 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Brooklyn, 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 Brooklyn, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY – Medellin comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $6,346 in Brooklyn, NY. 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 $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $107 in Brooklyn, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. That makes Medellin about 60% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,230. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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