Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Carlsbad, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, NM
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Carlsbad, NM Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Carlsbad, NM

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 Carlsbad, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Carlsbad, NM $2,193

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,146 in Carlsbad, NM, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Carlsbad, NM $3,146

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,098 in Carlsbad, NM, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Carlsbad, NM $4,098

Medellin is about 25% cheaper than Carlsbad, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Carlsbad, NM sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Carlsbad, NM by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.29 $17.29

-53.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$45.36 $45.36

3.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$11.82 $11.82

-19.63%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$5.70 $5.70

-47.19%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.51 $1.51

19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.26 $1.26

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.09 $5.09

-37.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$7.09 $7.09

-18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.80 $0.80

88.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.66 $3.66

-34.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.69 $3.69

-52.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$4.74 $4.74

-39.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.61 $13.61

-25.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$12.22 $12.22

-19.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$17.73 $17.73

-21.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.20 $4.20

-5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.01 $2.01

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.41 $3.41

-36.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.01 $4.01

-45.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.30 $2.30

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.43 $2.43

-34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.80 $1.80

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.90 $1.90

-34.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$10.81 $10.81

-63.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$14.93 $14.93

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.47 $2.47

-32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.63 $3.63

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.37 $2.37

-46.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.42 $2.42

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.92 $0.92

46.74%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$28.1K $28.1K

21.21%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$24.6K $24.6K

40.94%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$172 $172

-1.22%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$57.0 $57.0

-76.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$75.5 $75.5

-62.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$41.23 $41.23

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.99 $9.99

-30.83%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$679 $679

17.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$59.9 $59.9

41.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$32.36 $32.36

79.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$84.1 $84.1

60.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$99.9 $99.9

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,236 $1,236

-2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,005 $1,005

-36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,972 $1,972

2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,592 $1,592

-36.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,019 $2,019

106.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,018 $2,018

-5.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,175 $4,175

-84.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.61

95.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Carlsbad, NM

$1K 45.8% 56.6% $363

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Carlsbad, NM

$391 17.9% 31.8% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Carlsbad, NM

$304 13.9% 44% $93

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Carlsbad, NM

$293 13.4% 72.7% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Carlsbad, NM

$124 5.7% 26.4% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Carlsbad, NM

$14 * 0.7% 84.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Carlsbad, NM

$61 2.8% 6.4% $3.7

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 $1,236 in Carlsbad, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Carlsbad, NM are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $45 in Carlsbad, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $391 in Carlsbad, NM – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM

🕒 Local time

22:48 10:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

114,746

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Carlsbad, NM 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Carlsbad, NM

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 Carlsbad, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM – Medellin comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,290 in Carlsbad, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,236 in Carlsbad, NM. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $45 in Carlsbad, NM. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Carlsbad, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,193 in Carlsbad, NM. 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, Carlsbad, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.