Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and McLean, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $3,046 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
Learn more

McLean, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,046

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $3,046 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
McLean, VA $3,046

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $4,819 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
McLean, VA $4,819

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $6,593 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
McLean, VA $6,593

Medellin is about 48% cheaper than McLean, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and McLean, VA sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, McLean, VA by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$16.20 $16.20

-50.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$70.7 $70.7

-34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$11.51 $11.51

-18.07%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$5.35 $5.35

-45.61%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$2.36 $2.36

-25.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.94 $1.94

-31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$8.74 $8.74

-64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$10.07 $10.07

-44.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.34 $1.34

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$4.15 $4.15

-41.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$2.22 $2.22

-26.58%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$4.70 $4.70

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$17.33 $17.33

-44.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$16.91 $16.91

-44.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$18.48 $18.48

-27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$6.07 $6.07

-34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.69 $1.69

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$4.88 $4.88

-56.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$5.80 $5.80

-61.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$2.89 $2.89

-33.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$3.75 $3.75

-56.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$2.68 $2.68

-57.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$2.66 $2.66

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$14.02 $14.02

-72.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$16.12 $16.12

-18.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$3.30 $3.30

-51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$5.81 $5.81

-61.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$2.56 $2.56

-54.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$3.97 $3.97

-68.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.63 $1.63

25.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$25.34 $25.34

-67.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.91 $0.91

39.56%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$35.9K $35.9K

-25.34%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$26.9K $26.9K

28.13%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$213 $213

-24.01%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$76.5 $76.5

-82.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$54.3 $54.3

-48.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$89.6 $89.6

-50.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$18.20 $18.20

-66.54%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$1,932 $1,932

-60.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$42.2K $42.2K

-78.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$52.5 $52.5

61.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$43.98 $43.98

30.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$69.5 $69.5

89.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$66.1 $66.1

44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$2,822 $2,822

-63.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,601 $1,601

-62.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$3,954 $3,954

-54.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$3,436 $3,436

-71.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$5,759 $5,759

-89.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.63

65.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for McLean, VA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.5% 165% $996

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

McLean, VA

$483 16.2% 67.4% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

McLean, VA

$344 11.5% 69.2% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

McLean, VA

$104 3.5% 37.3% $62

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

McLean, VA

$309 10.4% 86% $143

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.8% 75.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

McLean, VA

$126 4.2% 123% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,822 in McLean, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 820% higher in McLean, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $71.0 in McLean, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $483 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

11:48 11:48 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

48,115

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin McLean, VA 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
McLean, 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 McLean, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Medellin, $3,046 in McLean, VA – roughly 92% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $4,569 in McLean, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $3,046 in McLean, VA. That's a gap of about 92%.

Kindergarten costs $764 per month in Medellin and $1,932 in McLean, VA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in McLean, VA at $3,046. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in McLean, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,589 in Medellin to $3,046 in McLean, VA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, McLean, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.