Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chapel Hill, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,569 in Chapel Hill, NC, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chapel Hill, NC

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 Chapel Hill, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,569 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Medellin $1,589
Chapel Hill, NC $2,569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $4,172 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Medellin $2,364
Chapel Hill, NC $4,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $5,775 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Medellin $3,139
Chapel Hill, NC $5,775

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Chapel Hill, NC 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$17.64 $17.64

-54.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$90.4 $90.4

-48.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$10.10 $10.10

-6.63%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$4.86 $4.86

-40.12%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$2.02 $2.02

-13.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.95 $1.95

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$5.90 $5.90

-46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$6.85 $6.85

-18.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$0.89 $0.89

58.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$4.11 $4.11

-40.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$5.17 $5.17

-68.47%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$4.64 $4.64

-39.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$15.51 $15.51

-37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$10.48 $10.48

-11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$16.96 $16.96

-20.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$5.63 $5.63

-28.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.57 $1.57

-5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$4.08 $4.08

-48.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$4.61 $4.61

-51.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$2.60 $2.60

-26.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$3.24 $3.24

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$2.10 $2.10

-45.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$1.98 $1.98

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$8.23 $8.23

-53.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$13.86 $13.86

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.67 $1.67

-4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.04 $2.04

10.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.96 $1.96

-35.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.64 $0.64

220.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.96 $0.96

32.29%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$36.1K $36.1K

-25.74%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$24.8K $24.8K

38.67%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$225 $225

-27.91%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$55.1 $55.1

-76.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$71.1 $71.1

-60.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$76.8 $76.8

-42.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$13.32 $13.32

-54.28%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$1,424 $1,424

-46.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$44.36 $44.36

91.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$34.72 $34.72

65.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$102 $102

29.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$139 $139

-31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,764 $1,764

-41.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,290 $1,290

-53.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$2,864 $2,864

-37.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$2,881 $2,881

-65.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$2,668 $2,668

46.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,747 $2,747

-40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$5,362 $5,362

-88.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.81

60.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.3K 49.9% 113% $686

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Chapel Hill, NC

$403 15.6% 39.6% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Chapel Hill, NC

$351 13.6% 72.7% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Chapel Hill, NC

$144 5.6% 13.6% $23

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Chapel Hill, NC

$289 11.2% 73.7% $123

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Chapel Hill, NC

$5.2 * 0.2% 94.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Chapel Hill, NC

$103 4% 83.1% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,764 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 756% 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 $90.0 in Chapel Hill, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $403 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

16:05 4:05 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

61,960

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chapel Hill, NC 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chapel Hill, NC

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 Chapel Hill, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 756% lower in Chapel Hill, NC. 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 $1,764 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Chapel Hill, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $2,569 in Chapel Hill, NC – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,569 in Chapel Hill, NC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chapel Hill, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,589 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Chapel Hill, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.