Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cambridge Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cambridge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,082 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $2,855 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $3,627 in Cambridge.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 24% less than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Cambridge 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$14.02 NZ$24.93

-42.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 150.3K

$66.4 NZ$118

-29.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.5K

$8.76 NZ$15.57

7.65%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,398

$3.40 NZ$6.05

-14.41%

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

$1.75 COP 5,657

$2.00 NZ$3.55

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,273

$1.92 NZ$3.41

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.01 NZ$10.68

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$6.68 NZ$11.87

-16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,553

$1.58 NZ$2.80

-10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,878

$2.23 NZ$3.97

9.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,258

$1.81 NZ$3.22

-9.94%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,107

$6.22 NZ$11.05

-54.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.3K

$8.64 NZ$15.36

12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.1K

$9.43 NZ$16.76

-1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.4K

$12.74 NZ$22.65

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$2.55 NZ$4.53

56.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,780

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-32.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,856

$2.91 NZ$5.17

-27.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,271

$5.74 NZ$10.20

-60.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,171

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-11.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,228

$1.51 NZ$2.69

7.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,706

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,074

$1.09 NZ$1.94

15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$25.82 NZ$45.91

-85.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.3K

$10.13 NZ$18.02

29.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,149

$3.40 NZ$6.04

-52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,282

$3.81 NZ$6.77

-40.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,779

$2.72 NZ$4.83

-56.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 242.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,108

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-42.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,616

$2.02 NZ$3.58

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.5K

$32.15 NZ$57.2

-74.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$1.67 NZ$2.97

-23.95%

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

$26.8K COP 86.4M

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

6.29%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

54.88%

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

$162 COP 523.6K

$100 NZ$178

61.95%

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

$13.12 COP 42.4K

$26.80 NZ$47.65

-51.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.7K

$50.0 NZ$89.0

-43.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 143.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$14.00 NZ$24.88

-56.50%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$665 NZ$1,183

14.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

-54.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 274.3K

$62.6 NZ$111

35.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.6K

$37.22 NZ$66.2

54.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 425.3K

$94.6 NZ$168

39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 309.1K

$103 NZ$184

-7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$573 NZ$1,019

79.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 2.0M

$1,107 NZ$1,967

-45.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,197 NZ$2,128

50.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,449 NZ$2,577

-31.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.7M

$4,500 NZ$8,001

-12.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$3,934 NZ$6,995

-58.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$2,567 NZ$4,564

-75.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $573 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 310% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $66.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $324 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 310% lower in Cambridge. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $573 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $764 in Medellin versus $665 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $66.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,082 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cambridge are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.