Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and West New York, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in West New York, NJ: $1,328 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in West New York, NJ
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West New York, NJ Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

West New York, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in West New York, 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 West New York, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,328 in West New York, NJ, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
West New York, NJ $1,328

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,216 in West New York, NJ, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
West New York, NJ $2,216

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,105 in West New York, NJ, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
West New York, NJ $3,105

Medellin costs about 22% more than West New York, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while West New York, NJ is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$19.37 $19.37

-59.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$80.7 $80.7

-42.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$12.85 $12.85

-26.07%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$5.14 $5.14

-39.49%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.47 $2.47

-25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.12 $1.12

23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.83 $5.83

-47.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.11 $7.11

-22.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.33 $1.33

9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$4.61 $4.61

-48.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$6.14 $6.14

-72.64%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.09 $5.09

-43.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$13.84 $13.84

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$10.32 $10.32

-7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$19.61 $19.61

-28.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$6.08 $6.08

-33.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.60 $3.60

-58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.22 $4.22

-48.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.20 $5.20

-55.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$3.11 $3.11

-37.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.11 $3.11

-47.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$3.00 $3.00

-62.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$3.07 $3.07

-59.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$12.15 $12.15

-67.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$15.23 $15.23

-12.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.85 $1.85

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.56 $3.56

-33.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.73 $3.73

-67.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$125 $125

-38.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.05 $3.05

-56.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.14 $2.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$41.57 $41.57

-79.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.86 $0.86

51.16%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$35.5K $35.5K

-21.22%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$25.0K $25.0K

41.72%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$85.6 $85.6

101.13%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$49.16 $49.16

-72.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$50.7 $50.7

-43.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$29.02 $29.02

55.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$20.62 $20.62

-69.54%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,980 $1,980

-61.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$15.9K $15.9K

-43.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$49.87 $49.87

73.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$81.3 $81.3

-29.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$86.4 $86.4

57.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$101 $101

-3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$2,629 $2,629

-59.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$5,369 $5,369

-87.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.36

72.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for West New York, NJ: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

West New York, NJ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

West New York, NJ

$462 34.8% 56.9% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

West New York, NJ

$185 14% 13.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

West New York, NJ

$143 10.8% 15.7% $27

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

West New York, NJ

$313 23.6% 85.8% $145

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

West New York, NJ

$153 11.5% 64.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

West New York, NJ

$70 5.3% 21.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $2,629 in West New York, NJ. 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 723% higher in West New York, NJ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $81.0 in West New York, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $462 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 West New York, NJ

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

49,708

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin West New York, NJ 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 West New York, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,992 in West New York, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in West New York, NJ, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $81.0 in West New York, NJ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,328 in West New York, NJ. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in West New York, NJ, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Medellin at $1,614. In West New York, NJ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward West New York, NJ – 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 West New York, NJ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.