Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hempstead, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Hempstead, NY: $1,474 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Hempstead, NY
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Hempstead, NY Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Hempstead, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,474 in Hempstead, NY.

Medellin $1,639
Hempstead, NY $1,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,319 in Hempstead, NY.

Medellin $2,413
Hempstead, NY $2,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,164 in Hempstead, NY.

Medellin $3,186
Hempstead, NY $3,164

Living in Medellin is roughly 11% more expensive than in Hempstead, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Hempstead, NY 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$19.94 $19.94

-59.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$76.1 $76.1

-38.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$12.73 $12.73

-25.37%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$5.14 $5.14

-41.44%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.91 $2.91

-38.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$2.33 $2.33

-39.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$6.05 $6.05

-47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$8.20 $8.20

-29.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.26 $1.26

19.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.65 $1.65

44.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$2.45 $2.45

-27.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.62 $3.62

-20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.56 $9.56

6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$12.17 $12.17

-18.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.13 $12.13

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.98 $2.98

33.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.53 $1.53

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.80 $1.80

21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$5.67 $5.67

-61.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.88 $2.88

-31.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.63 $2.63

-39.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.56 $2.56

-55.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.48 $2.48

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$11.96 $11.96

-66.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$15.17 $15.17

-9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.32 $2.32

-28.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$4.42 $4.42

-48.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.93 $2.93

-60.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$130 $130

-40.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.89 $2.89

-56.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.63 $0.63

225.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$24.40 $24.40

-64.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.14 $1.14

18.42%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$31.7K $31.7K

7.43%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$26.6K $26.6K

30.37%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$230 $230

-26.25%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$64.4 $64.4

-78.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$66.9 $66.9

-58.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$112 $112

-61.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$14.88 $14.88

-53.56%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$2,082 $2,082

-61.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$42.5K $42.5K

-78.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$48.96 $48.96

73.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$44.40 $44.40

30.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$102 $102

31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$141 $141

-30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 25, 2026

Last update for Hempstead, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Hempstead, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Hempstead, NY

$344 23.3% 15.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Hempstead, NY

$361 24.5% 71% $150

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Hempstead, NY

$327 22.2% 92.8% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Hempstead, NY

$152 10.3% 10.2% $17

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Hempstead, NY

$148 10.1% 58.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Hempstead, NY

$142 9.6% 147% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $76 in Hempstead, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $344 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Hempstead, NY

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

793,409

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,474 in Hempstead, NY, so Hempstead, NY is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $2,210 in Hempstead, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $76 in Hempstead, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Hempstead, NY gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.