Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Toms River, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,884 in Toms River, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Toms River, NJ, United States
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Toms River, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,884
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Toms River, NJ

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 Toms River, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,884 in Toms River, NJ, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Toms River, NJ $2,884

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,311 in Toms River, NJ, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Toms River, NJ $4,311

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,738 in Toms River, NJ, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Toms River, NJ $5,738

Medellin is about 43% cheaper than Toms River, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Toms River, NJ sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Toms River, NJ by 112%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$19.87 $19.87
-59.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$74.2 $74.2
-36.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$12.05 $12.05
-21.16%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$5.53 $5.53
-45.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$2.57 $2.57
-29.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$1.86 $1.86
-24.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$5.03 $5.03
-36.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$6.89 $6.89
-16.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.41 $1.41
7.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$4.61 $4.61
-48.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$2.42 $2.42
-26.86%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$4.61 $4.61
-37.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$16.29 $16.29
-37.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$16.95 $16.95
-41.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$16.81 $16.81
-16.78%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$5.98 $5.98
-33.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.30 $1.30
19.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$5.15 $5.15
-57.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$5.92 $5.92
-63.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.58 $1.58
24.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$2.74 $2.74
-41.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$2.53 $2.53
-54.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.94 $1.94
-36.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$9.84 $9.84
-59.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$10.09 $10.09
35.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$2.80 $2.80
-40.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$3.42 $3.42
-33.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$2.99 $2.99
-57.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$2.13 $2.13
-3.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$41.41 $41.41
-79.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$0.92 $0.92
46.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$30.8K $30.8K
10.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$26.2K $26.2K
32.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$243 $243
-30.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$37.24 $37.24
-63.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$62.0 $62.0
-54.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$30.15 $30.15
44.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$17.15 $17.15
-59.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$3,103 $3,103
-74.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$34.4K $34.4K
-73.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$69.8 $69.8
21.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$75.8 $75.8
-23.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$120 $120
12.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$121 $121
-19.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$1,617 $1,617
-25.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$1,527 $1,527
-57.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$2,900 $2,900
-30.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$2,766 $2,766
-63.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Toms River, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$5,268 $5,268
-87.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.67
64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Toms River, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Toms River, NJ
$1.5K 138% $885
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Toms River, NJ
$445 49.8% $148
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Toms River, NJ
$342 61.8% $130
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Toms River, NJ
$318 87.6% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Toms River, NJ
$174 3.2% $5.3
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Toms River, NJ
$14 * 85.4% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Toms River, NJ
$64 12% $6.9

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 $1,617 in Toms River, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Toms River, NJ are about 8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $74 in Toms River, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $445 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ
🕒 Local time
18:14 6:14 PM
19:14 7:14 PM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
95,438
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Toms River, NJ 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Toms River, NJ

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 Toms River, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Toms River, NJ?
Yes – Toms River, NJ is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,326 in Toms River, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,617 in Toms River, NJ.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Toms River, NJ?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $74 in Toms River, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Toms River, NJ?
Groceries cost about 50% more in Toms River, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Toms River, NJ?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Toms River, NJ at $2,884. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toms River, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Toms River, NJ more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toms River, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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