Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Manassas, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,064 in Manassas, VA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Manassas, VA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,064
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Manassas, VA

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 Manassas, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,064 in Manassas, VA.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Manassas, VA $3,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $4,424 in Manassas, VA.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Manassas, VA $4,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $5,784 in Manassas, VA.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Manassas, VA $5,784

Living in Medellin costs roughly 47% less than in Manassas, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Manassas, VA 127% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$24.52 $24.52
-67.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$90.9 $90.9
-49.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$12.11 $12.11
-21.55%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$6.68 $6.68
-53.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.59 $2.59
-29.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$2.36 $2.36
-41.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$6.63 $6.63
-54.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$8.19 $8.19
-32.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.05 $1.05
38.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$3.73 $3.73
-36.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$7.19 $7.19
-76.63%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$4.76 $4.76
-39.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$10.94 $10.94
-6.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$14.50 $14.50
-34.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$20.11 $20.11
-30.18%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$7.59 $7.59
-46.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$2.26 $2.26
-33.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$7.99 $7.99
-72.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$6.87 $6.87
-66.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$5.64 $5.64
-65.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$4.15 $4.15
-60.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$2.24 $2.24
-49.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$2.11 $2.11
-40.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$9.03 $9.03
-55.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$14.18 $14.18
-5.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$2.09 $2.09
-18.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$3.84 $3.84
-38.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$5.14 $5.14
-76.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$101 $101
-23.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$3.09 $3.09
-57.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.46 $1.46
46.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$20.39 $20.39
-58.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.04 $1.04
25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$35.9K $35.9K
-22.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$24.8K $24.8K
43.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$211 $211
-18.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$53.0 $53.0
-74.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$60.0 $60.0
-52.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$44.15 $44.15
2.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$19.98 $19.98
-14.71%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$17.77 $17.77
-64.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$1,916 $1,916
-59.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$12.1K $12.1K
-25.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$47.00 $47.00
83.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$49.01 $49.01
16.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$102 $102
33.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$105 $105
-6.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$1,838 $1,838
-42.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$1,526 $1,526
-59.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$2,920 $2,920
-35.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$2,293 $2,293
-55.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,733 $2,733
48.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,484 $2,484
-32.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Manassas, VA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$4,795 $4,795
-86.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.64
64.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manassas, VA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Manassas, VA
$1.5K 148% $910
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Manassas, VA
$485 64.6% $190
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Manassas, VA
$324 51.4% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Manassas, VA
$136 19.8% $34
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Manassas, VA
$382 127% $214
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Manassas, VA
$132 41% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Manassas, VA
$80 37.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $1,838 in Manassas, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manassas, VA pays 635% 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 $91.0 in Manassas, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $485 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Manassas, VA
🕒 Local time
02:06 2:06 AM
03:06 3:06 AM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
42,772
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Manassas, VA 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Manassas, VA

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 Manassas, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Manassas, VA?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Manassas, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Manassas, VA?
On paper, salaries run 635% lower in Manassas, VA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Manassas, VA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,838 in Manassas, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Medellin compared to Manassas, VA?
A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 32% less than in Manassas, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and in Manassas, VA?
Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $1,916 in Manassas, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Manassas, VA?
At $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,064 in Manassas, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Manassas, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Manassas, VA?
Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,614 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Manassas, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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