Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Staten Island, NY $3,006

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,490 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Staten Island, NY $4,490

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,974 in Staten Island, NY, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Staten Island, NY $5,974

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

Both Medellin and Staten Island, NY sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Staten Island, NY by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$23.28 $23.28

-65.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$89.1 $89.1

-47.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$13.60 $13.60

-30.15%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$6.74 $6.74

-55.34%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.65 $1.65

-14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$8.04 $8.04

-60.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$7.98 $7.98

-27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.24 $1.24

21.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$4.94 $4.94

-51.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$6.42 $6.42

-72.43%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$5.96 $5.96

-51.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$17.57 $17.57

-42.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$13.89 $13.89

-28.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$19.69 $19.69

-28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$6.52 $6.52

-39.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$3.55 $3.55

-56.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$6.70 $6.70

-67.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$7.03 $7.03

-68.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$4.35 $4.35

-54.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$4.38 $4.38

-63.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.92 $2.92

-60.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.81 $2.81

-55.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$19.04 $19.04

-79.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$14.77 $14.77

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.82 $1.82

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.52 $3.52

-35.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.94 $2.94

-60.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.93 $2.93

-56.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$2.16 $2.16

-5.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$42.42 $42.42

-79.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.15 $1.15

17.39%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$34.0K $34.0K

0.22%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$26.6K $26.6K

30.35%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$224 $224

-24.18%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$74.3 $74.3

-81.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$64.4 $64.4

-56.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$116 $116

-62.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$20.64 $20.64

-66.52%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,994 $1,994

-60.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$16.3K $16.3K

-44.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$72.3 $72.3

17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$37.91 $37.91

52.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$105 $105

28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$107 $107

-8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,855 $1,855

-34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,414 $1,414

-54.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,364 $3,364

-39.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,420 $2,420

-58.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$6,788 $6,788

-90.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.8

60.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47% 120% $772

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Staten Island, NY

$521 17.3% 75.5% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Staten Island, NY

$362 12.1% 71.5% $151

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7% 125% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Staten Island, NY

$145 4.8% 14.2% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Staten Island, NY

$25 * 0.9% 72.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Staten Island, NY

$157 5.2% 173% $99

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,855 in Staten Island, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Staten Island, NY are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $89 in Staten Island, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $521 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

495,747

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Staten Island, NY 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Staten Island, 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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staten Island, NY is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,508 in Staten Island, 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,855 in Staten Island, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $89 in Staten Island, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Staten Island, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Staten Island, NY at $3,006. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staten Island, 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.

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