Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saratoga Springs, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, NY
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Saratoga Springs, NY Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Saratoga Springs, NY $2,870

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $4,028 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Saratoga Springs, NY $4,028

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $5,185 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Saratoga Springs, NY $5,185

Medellin is about 45% cheaper than Saratoga Springs, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Saratoga Springs, NY sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Saratoga Springs, NY by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$17.82 $17.82

-55.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$77.8 $77.8

-40.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$8.23 $8.23

14.58%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$5.33 $5.33

-45.40%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$2.65 $2.65

-33.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.93 $1.93

-31.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$6.68 $6.68

-53.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$7.35 $7.35

-24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$0.88 $0.88

60.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$3.36 $3.36

-27.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$4.50 $4.50

-63.78%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$3.92 $3.92

-28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$10.86 $10.86

-10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$13.76 $13.76

-32.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$18.00 $18.00

-25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$6.48 $6.48

-38.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.43 $1.43

3.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$5.27 $5.27

-59.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$6.97 $6.97

-67.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$3.00 $3.00

-36.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$3.36 $3.36

-51.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$2.42 $2.42

-52.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$2.74 $2.74

-54.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$12.86 $12.86

-70.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$14.77 $14.77

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$2.95 $2.95

-45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$4.79 $4.79

-52.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$3.82 $3.82

-66.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$2.17 $2.17

-5.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$29.63 $29.63

-72.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.96 $0.96

32.29%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$33.9K $33.9K

-20.99%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$24.9K $24.9K

38.23%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$236 $236

-31.16%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$52.4 $52.4

-74.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$58.4 $58.4

-51.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$59.6 $59.6

-25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$20.12 $20.12

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$14.95 $14.95

-59.26%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$1,387 $1,387

-44.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$17.7K $17.7K

-49.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$53.8 $53.8

58.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$48.61 $48.61

18.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$93.2 $93.2

41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$101 $101

-5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$2,517 $2,517

-59.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,543 $1,543

-60.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$3,051 $3,051

-40.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$2,169 $2,169

-54.24%

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

$4,942 $4,942

-87.33%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Saratoga Springs, NY: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$1.5K 53.9% 155% $939

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$441 15.4% 52.7% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$346 12.1% 70.3% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$134 4.7% 19.7% $33

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$298 10.4% 79% $131

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$15 * 0.5% 83.9% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$89 3.1% 58.3% $33

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 $2,517 in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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 689% higher in Saratoga Springs, NY, 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 $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $441 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, NY

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

28,491

💱 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 →

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Medellin Saratoga Springs, NY 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Saratoga Springs, 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 Saratoga Springs, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saratoga Springs, NY is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $4,306 in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Saratoga Springs, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Saratoga Springs, NY at $2,870. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saratoga Springs, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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