Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Washington, DC

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,910 in Washington, DC, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Washington, DC

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 Washington, DC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,910 in Washington, DC, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Washington, DC $3,910

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $6,024 in Washington, DC, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Washington, DC $6,024

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $8,138 in Washington, DC, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Washington, DC $8,138

Medellin is about 57% cheaper than Washington, DC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Washington, DC sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Washington, DC by 189%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$23.59 $23.59

-64.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$105 $105

-55.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$12.44 $12.44

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$6.02 $6.02

-48.01%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$3.26 $3.26

-45.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$2.65 $2.65

-46.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$8.73 $8.73

-63.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$10.13 $10.13

-43.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.35 $1.35

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$4.08 $4.08

-43.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$6.96 $6.96

-72.13%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$5.57 $5.57

-44.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$16.74 $16.74

-40.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$17.01 $17.01

-38.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$18.89 $18.89

-26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$7.45 $7.45

-45.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$2.43 $2.43

-37.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$5.05 $5.05

-58.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$5.80 $5.80

-60.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$2.92 $2.92

-27.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$3.73 $3.73

-54.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$2.60 $2.60

-55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$2.69 $2.69

-41.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$13.81 $13.81

-71.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$16.06 $16.06

-12.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$3.20 $3.20

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$5.75 $5.75

-52.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$3.17 $3.17

-62.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$118 $118

-35.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$3.89 $3.89

-53.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$1.55 $1.55

37.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$24.94 $24.94

-67.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.16 $1.16

10.34%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$34.5K $34.5K

-0.32%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$26.0K $26.0K

31.27%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$210 $210

-15.31%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$79.5 $79.5

-82.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$77.7 $77.7

-60.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$100 $100

-58.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$73.2 $73.2

-77.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$17.90 $17.90

-58.27%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$2,956 $2,956

-73.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$50.0K $50.0K

-75.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$72.2 $72.2

19.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$43.69 $43.69

35.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$103 $103

34.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$123 $123

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$2,721 $2,721

-50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$2,209 $2,209

-69.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$4,995 $4,995

-60.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$4,231 $4,231

-75.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$7,895 $7,895

-48.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$3,695 $3,695

-47.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$6,306 $6,306

-89.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.86

59.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Washington, DC: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56.5% 231% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Washington, DC

$516 13.2% 67.9% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Washington, DC

$367 9.4% 65.1% $145

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Washington, DC

$386 9.9% 124% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Washington, DC

$154 3.9% 10.7% $18

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Washington, DC

$142 3.6% 52% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Washington, DC

$136 3.5% 139% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $2,721 in Washington, DC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Washington, DC are about 9.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $105 in Washington, DC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $516 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

672,228 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Washington, DC 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Washington, DC

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 Washington, DC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Washington, DC is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $5,864 in Washington, DC. 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 $1,341 there versus $2,721 in Washington, DC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $105 in Washington, DC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $3,910 in Washington, DC. That makes Medellin about 57% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Washington, DC at $3,910. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Washington, DC 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, Washington, DC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.