Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,087 in Medford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Medford, MA
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Medford, MA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,087

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medford, MA and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medford, MA and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,087 per month in Medford, MA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Medford, MA $3,087
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,233 per month in Medford, MA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Medford, MA $4,233
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,378 per month in Medford, MA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Medford, MA $5,378
Medellin $3,186

Medford, MA costs about 88% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medford, MA and Medellin sit above the global median – Medford, MA by 127%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 $18.23

$8.09 COP 25.4K

125.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.9 $95.9

$47.05 COP 148.0K

103.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$9.50 COP 29.9K

27.89%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$3.01 COP 9,485

82.72%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$1.80 COP 5,660

64.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.41 COP 4,443

78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 $7.89

$3.18 COP 9,990

148.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 $8.73

$5.75 COP 18.1K

51.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.51 COP 4,751

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.38 COP 7,480

68.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$1.77 COP 5,573

202.26%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.89 COP 9,093

64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$10.19 COP 32.1K

12.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$9.87 COP 31.1K

47.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$13.99 COP 44.0K

27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$3.97 COP 12.5K

66.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.55 COP 4,883

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.18 COP 6,867

146.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.18 COP 6,870

154.13%

Potato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.96 COP 6,174

128.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.59 COP 5,000

162.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.15 COP 3,604

161.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.24 COP 3,911

141.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.10 $13.10

$3.96 COP 12.5K

230.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 $13.47

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.66 COP 5,221

26.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.26 COP 7,103

89.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.17 COP 3,674

103.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 $60.0

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-22.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.27 COP 3,989

107.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.05 COP 6,442

-13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$8.55 COP 26.9K

231.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.35 COP 4,237

-20.74%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-18.35%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-24.47%

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

$246 $246

$170 COP 533.7K

44.73%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$13.55 COP 42.6K

305.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$28.07 COP 88.3K

203.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 $41.33

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$6.91 COP 21.7K

105.35%

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

$1,839 $1,839

$797 COP 2.5M

130.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

230.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-31.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-33.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$135 COP 424.6K

-41.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$97.9 COP 307.9K

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$1,208 COP 3.8M

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 $1,639

$642 COP 2.0M

155.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$2,028 COP 6.4M

23.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$1,012 COP 3.2M

113.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 $2,745

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-34.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$1,910 COP 6.0M

26.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

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

Last update for Medford, MA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medford, MA

$1.6K 53.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 60.9% $998

Groceries & Markets

Medford, MA

$461 14.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 35.6% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, MA

$386 12.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 45.2% $174

Eating Out

Medford, MA

$327 10.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 48.2% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, MA

$124 4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 36.4% $45

Getting Around

Medford, MA

$81 2.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 15.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, MA

$70 2.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Medford, MA versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Medford, MA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

1 h behind Medford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Medford, MA Medellin 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medford, MA
Medellin

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

Medford, MA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medford, MA is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,631 per month in Medford, MA and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 $1,600 in Medford, MA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Medford, MA and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,087 in Medford, MA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 47% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Medford, MA at $3,087. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medford, MA 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.