Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lancaster, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,599 in Lancaster, PA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Lancaster, PA
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Lancaster, PA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Lancaster, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lancaster, PA

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 Lancaster, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA.

Medellin $1,625
Lancaster, PA $2,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $3,784 in Lancaster, PA.

Medellin $2,412
Lancaster, PA $3,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $4,968 in Lancaster, PA.

Medellin $3,199
Lancaster, PA $4,968

Living in Medellin costs roughly 37% less than in Lancaster, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Lancaster, PA 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$22.42 $22.42

-62.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$66.1 $66.1

-29.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$12.13 $12.13

-23.83%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$5.35 $5.35

-42.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.39 $2.39

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$2.08 $2.08

-33.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$5.87 $5.87

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$6.86 $6.86

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.12 $1.12

33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.84 $2.84

-16.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.94 $3.94

-56.85%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$4.55 $4.55

-34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$13.75 $13.75

-25.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.10 $9.10

7.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$14.60 $14.60

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$10.16 $10.16

-59.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.46 $1.46

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$4.90 $4.90

-54.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.99 $4.99

-54.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.15 $2.15

-7.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.73 $2.73

-38.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.45 $2.45

-51.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$2.20 $2.20

-43.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$12.00 $12.00

-67.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$11.97 $11.97

15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.63 $2.63

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.15 $3.15

-23.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.73 $1.73

-28.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$41.78 $41.78

87.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$4.97 $4.97

-74.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$3.06 $3.06

-29.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$34.67 $34.67

-75.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.01 $1.01

33.66%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$33.6K $33.6K

3.52%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

31.50%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$276 $276

-39.60%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$68.0 $68.0

-79.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$78.2 $78.2

-62.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$47.66 $47.66

-5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$45.60 $45.60

-62.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$16.75 $16.75

-58.39%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$566 $566

39.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$66.0K $66.0K

-86.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$59.7 $59.7

47.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$49.15 $49.15

18.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$95.0 $95.0

46.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$103 $103

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,371 $1,371

-25.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,148 $1,148

-46.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,119 $2,119

-11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,875 $1,875

-46.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,350 $2,350

69.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$2,102 $2,102

-19.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$3,999 $3,999

-83.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.26

74.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lancaster, PA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Lancaster, PA

$1.1K 44.2% 85.4% $529

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Lancaster, PA

$400 15.4% 34.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Lancaster, PA

$422 16.2% 102% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Lancaster, PA

$138 5.3% 20.2% $35

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Lancaster, PA

$341 13.1% 99.6% $170

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Lancaster, PA

$69 2.7% 27.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Lancaster, PA

$81 3.1% 37.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,371 in Lancaster, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lancaster, PA pays 503% 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 $66.0 in Lancaster, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $400 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Lancaster, PA

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

59,322

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Lancaster, PA 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lancaster, PA

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 Lancaster, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 503% lower in Lancaster, PA. 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 $1,371 in Lancaster, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $66.0 in Lancaster, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lancaster, PA. 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 Lancaster, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lancaster, PA 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 60% less than in Lancaster, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.