Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newton, MA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,476 in Newton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

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

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Newton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,476

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,476 per month in Newton, MA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Newton, MA $3,476
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $5,888 per month in Newton, MA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Newton, MA $5,888
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $8,301 per month in Newton, MA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Newton, MA $8,301
Medellin $3,190

Newton, MA costs about 115% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Newton, MA and Medellin sit above the global median – Newton, MA by 157%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.85 $29.85

$7.93 COP 25.2K

276.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$46.13 COP 146.3K

156.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$9.50 COP 30.1K

24.42%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.11 COP 9,866

98.07%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$1.83 COP 5,800

71.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.38 COP 4,360

65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.05 COP 9,672

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$5.50 COP 17.4K

49.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.45 COP 4,600

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.36 COP 7,496

101.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$1.68 COP 5,328

330.95%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$2.86 COP 9,077

55.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.35 $19.35

$10.19 COP 32.3K

89.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 $10.96

$9.53 COP 30.2K

15.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$14.04 COP 44.5K

15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.07 COP 12.9K

25.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.50 COP 4,742

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.17 COP 6,891

148.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.31 COP 7,310

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.93 COP 6,113

132.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.64 COP 5,196

137.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.13 COP 3,571

163.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.25 COP 3,954

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.51 $12.51

$3.99 COP 12.6K

213.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.35 COP 42.3K

19.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.70 COP 5,384

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.37 COP 7,525

6.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.21 COP 3,827

94.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 $89.1

$76.5 COP 242.5K

16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.32 COP 4,179

49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.14 COP 6,774

-28.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 $11.15

$8.47 COP 26.8K

31.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.30 COP 4,114

-20.00%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

28.80%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-28.23%

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

$247 $247

$172 COP 545.6K

43.33%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$13.37 COP 42.4K

304.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.4 $77.4

$28.73 COP 91.1K

169.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 $66.3

$45.24 COP 143.5K

46.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$6.28 COP 19.9K

156.85%

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

$2,850 $2,850

$770 COP 2.4M

270.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

303.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 $76.9

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-12.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$137 COP 432.9K

-17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$97.9 COP 310.4K

37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 $1,841

$1,055 COP 3.3M

74.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 $1,827

$616 COP 2.0M

196.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,208 $5,208

$1,892 COP 6.0M

175.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,541 $4,541

$1,023 COP 3.2M

343.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,991 $5,991

$4,059 COP 12.9M

47.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,460 $5,460

$1,678 COP 5.3M

225.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,869 $7,869

$652 COP 2.1M

1106.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

10.94

-39.12%

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

Last update for Newton, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newton, MA

$1.8K 52.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 66.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Newton, MA

$470 13.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 37.3% $175

Eating Out

Newton, MA

$426 12.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 60.5% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newton, MA

$378 10.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 43.4% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Newton, MA

$168 4.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 1% $1.7

Getting Around

Newton, MA

$108 3.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 13.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Newton, MA

$99 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 41.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,841 in Newton, MA 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 1106% higher in Newton, MA, 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 $118 in Newton, MA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newton, MA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

1 h behind Newton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,146

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 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).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Newton, MA Medellin 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Newton, 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

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

Yes – Newton, MA is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,214 per month in Newton, MA and $2,421 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Newton, MA and $46.00 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 $3,476 in Newton, MA and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 115%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Newton, MA at $3,476. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newton, 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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Newton, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.