Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Charleston, WV

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,829 in Charleston, WV, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, WV
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Charleston, WV Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Charleston, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Charleston, WV

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 Charleston, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,829 in Charleston, WV.

Medellin $1,614
Charleston, WV $1,829

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $2,694 in Charleston, WV.

Medellin $2,402
Charleston, WV $2,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $3,559 in Charleston, WV.

Medellin $3,190
Charleston, WV $3,559

Living in Medellin costs roughly 12% less than in Charleston, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Charleston, WV 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$14.33 $14.33

-44.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$50.0 $50.0

-7.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.07 $10.07

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.09 $3.09

0.65%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.32 $2.32

-21.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.84 $1.84

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.03 $3.03

0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.67 $6.67

-17.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.81 $0.81

79.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.23 $2.23

5.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.67 $1.67

0.60%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.25 $3.25

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.21 $11.21

-9.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$12.35 $12.35

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$16.65 $16.65

-15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.42 $4.42

-7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.03 $1.03

45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.16 $2.16

0.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.17 $5.17

-55.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.95 $1.95

-1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.86 $2.86

-42.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.03 $2.03

-44.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.92 $5.92

-32.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.14 $10.14

31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.69 $1.69

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$6.10 $6.10

-61.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.96 $0.96

35.42%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$35.8K $35.8K

-21.82%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$25.2K $25.2K

40.36%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$204 $204

-15.63%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$44.92 $44.92

-70.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$54.3 $54.3

-47.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$30.39 $30.39

48.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$17.17 $17.17

-0.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.04 $12.04

-47.84%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$543 $543

41.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,393 $6,393

40.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$39.37 $39.37

119.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$47.10 $47.10

21.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$68.7 $68.7

98.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$119 $119

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,017 $1,017

3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$790 $790

-22.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,749 $1,749

8.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,330 $1,330

-23.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,132 $1,132

258.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,130 $1,130

48.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,589 $3,589

-81.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.66

64.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Charleston, WV: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Charleston, WV

$790 43.2% 28.2% $174

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Charleston, WV

$331 18.1% 12.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Charleston, WV

$303 16.6% 41.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Charleston, WV

$124 6.8% 27.4% $47

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Charleston, WV

$227 12.4% 34.8% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Charleston, WV

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Charleston, WV

$54 3% 5.8% $3.3

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 $1,055 in Medellin and $1,017 in Charleston, WV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, WV pays 450% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Charleston, WV for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $331 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Charleston, WV

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

150,227

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Charleston, WV 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Charleston, WV

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 Charleston, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 450% lower in Charleston, WV. 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,017 in Charleston, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $543 in Charleston, WV. 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 $46.00 versus $50.0 in Charleston, WV. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,829 in Charleston, WV, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Charleston, WV. 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 Charleston, WV, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Charleston, WV 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 13% less than in Charleston, WV. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.