Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jersey City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 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
187

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jersey City, NJ

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 Jersey City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ.

Medellin $1,614
Jersey City, NJ $3,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $5,348 in Jersey City, NJ.

Medellin $2,402
Jersey City, NJ $5,348

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $6,841 in Jersey City, NJ.

Medellin $3,190
Jersey City, NJ $6,841

Living in Medellin costs roughly 58% less than in Jersey City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Jersey City, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$25.34 $25.34

-68.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$99.9 $99.9

-53.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.83 $10.83

-12.28%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$5.40 $5.40

-42.41%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.17 $2.17

-15.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.58 $1.58

-12.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$8.11 $8.11

-62.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$8.18 $8.18

-32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.29 $1.29

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$4.20 $4.20

-43.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$7.58 $7.58

-77.84%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.68 $5.68

-49.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.52 $12.52

-18.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$11.68 $11.68

-18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$17.29 $17.29

-18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$5.28 $5.28

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.72 $1.72

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$6.44 $6.44

-66.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$6.13 $6.13

-62.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$5.66 $5.66

-65.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.82 $3.82

-57.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.89 $2.89

-60.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.81 $2.81

-55.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$11.19 $11.19

-64.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$24.79 $24.79

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.77 $1.77

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$5.51 $5.51

-56.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.07 $3.07

-60.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$106 $106

-27.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.94 $2.94

-55.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.00 $2.00

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$24.20 $24.20

-65.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.12 $1.12

16.07%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$36.8K $36.8K

-23.87%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$25.8K $25.8K

37.44%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$209 $209

-17.79%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$73.2 $73.2

-81.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$64.8 $64.8

-55.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$56.3 $56.3

-19.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$43.47 $43.47

-60.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$14.60 $14.60

-56.99%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$2,245 $2,245

-65.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$23.6K $23.6K

-61.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$41.50 $41.50

108.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$58.2 $58.2

-1.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$74.8 $74.8

82.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$155 $155

-36.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$3,501 $3,501

-69.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$2,282 $2,282

-73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$5,540 $5,540

-65.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$3,248 $3,248

-68.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$7,779 $7,779

-47.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$5,595 $5,595

-70.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$6,205 $6,205

-89.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Jersey City, NJ

$2.3K 59.2% 271% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Jersey City, NJ

$488 12.7% 65.7% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Jersey City, NJ

$347 9% 62.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Jersey City, NJ

$148 3.8% 12.9% $22

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Jersey City, NJ

$372 9.7% 121% $204

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Jersey City, NJ

$131 3.4% 40.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Jersey City, NJ

$85 2.2% 47.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 851% 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 $100 in Jersey City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $488 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

292,449

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Jersey City, NJ 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jersey City, NJ

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 Jersey City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 851% lower in Jersey City, NJ. 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 $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 38% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $2,245 in Jersey City, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Jersey City, NJ. 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 Jersey City, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.