Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New City, NY and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $4,580 in New City, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New City, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,580
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,580 per month in New City, NY vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • New City, NY $4,580
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $6,397 per month in New City, NY vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • New City, NY $6,397
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $8,214 per month in New City, NY vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • New City, NY $8,214
  • Medellin $3,190

New City, NY costs about 184% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New City, NY and Medellin sit above the global median – New City, NY by 239%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.87 $13.87
$7.93 COP 25.2K
74.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 $85.5
$46.13 COP 146.3K
85.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.91 $10.91
$9.50 COP 30.1K
14.84%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$3.11 COP 9,866
78.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.83 COP 5,800
16.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.38 COP 4,360
10.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 $7.79
$3.05 COP 9,672
155.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 $8.16
$5.50 COP 17.4K
48.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.45 COP 4,600
-15.86%
White Bread (500g)
$4.30 $4.30
$2.36 COP 7,496
82.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$1.68 COP 5,328
285.12%
Eggs
$5.82 $5.82
$2.86 COP 9,077
103.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.33 $12.33
$10.19 COP 32.3K
21.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.67 $11.67
$9.53 COP 30.2K
22.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.33 $17.33
$14.04 COP 44.5K
23.43%
Apples (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$4.07 COP 12.9K
31.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.50 COP 4,742
-14.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.44 $6.44
$2.17 COP 6,891
196.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.36 $6.36
$2.31 COP 7,310
175.32%
Potato (1kg)
$5.58 $5.58
$1.93 COP 6,113
189.12%
Onion (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$1.64 COP 5,196
134.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.13 COP 3,571
104.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.25 COP 3,954
-6.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.51 $11.51
$3.99 COP 12.6K
188.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.83 $9.83
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-26.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.70 COP 5,384
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.38 $5.38
$2.37 COP 7,525
127.00%
🚌 Getting Around
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.21 COP 3,827
132.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$127 $127
$76.5 COP 242.5K
66.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.32 COP 4,179
121.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 $2.00
$2.14 COP 6,774
-6.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.86 $23.86
$8.47 COP 26.8K
181.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.30 COP 4,114
-15.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.5K $31.5K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
12.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-27.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$172 COP 545.6K
16.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.3 $75.3
$13.37 COP 42.4K
463.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.9 $64.9
$28.73 COP 91.1K
125.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.31 $14.31
$6.28 COP 19.9K
127.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,961 $1,961
$770 COP 2.4M
154.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.4K $23.4K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
159.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.04 $41.04
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-52.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 $58.0
$57.1 COP 181.1K
1.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.7 $70.7
$137 COP 432.9K
-48.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$151 $151
$97.9 COP 310.4K
53.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,074 $3,074
$1,055 COP 3.3M
191.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,205 $3,205
$616 COP 2.0M
420.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,671 $5,671
$1,892 COP 6.0M
199.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,124 $5,124
$1,023 COP 3.2M
401.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
New City, NY
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,040 $8,040
$652 COP 2.1M
1132.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
10.94
-39.49%

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

Last update for New City, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New City, NY
$3.2K
Medellin
$616 80.8% $2.6K
Groceries & Markets
New City, NY
$430
Medellin
$295 31.5% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New City, NY
$341
Medellin
$214 37.2% $127
Eating Out
New City, NY
$280
Medellin
$168 39.9% $112
Getting Around
New City, NY
$151
Medellin
$93 38.3% $58
Clothing & Footwear
New City, NY
$144
Medellin
$170 18% $26
Sport & Entertainment
New City, NY
$29 *
Medellin
$58 102% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,074 in New City, NY versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 1132% higher in New City, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in New City, NY versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New City, NY
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
18:36 6:36 PM
17:36 5:36 PM
1 h behind New City, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,135
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New City, NY Medellin 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New City, NY
  • 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
New City, NY vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than New City, NY?
Yes – New City, NY is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,870 per month in New City, NY and $2,421 in Medellin. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in New City, NY or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in New City, NY and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in New City, NY and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,580 in New City, NY and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 184%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in New City, NY or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in New City, NY at $4,580. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in New City, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is New City, NY or Medellin 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 safer, New City, NY or Medellin?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New City, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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