Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norfolk, VA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,428 in Norfolk, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Norfolk, VA
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Norfolk, VA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Norfolk, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,428

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,428 per month in Norfolk, VA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Norfolk, VA $2,428
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,629 per month in Norfolk, VA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Norfolk, VA $3,629
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,829 per month in Norfolk, VA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Norfolk, VA $4,829
Medellin $3,190

Norfolk, VA costs about 50% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Norfolk, VA and Medellin sit above the global median – Norfolk, VA by 80%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.58 $18.58

$7.93 COP 25.2K

134.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 $91.0

$46.13 COP 146.3K

97.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 $11.54

$9.50 COP 30.1K

21.47%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.11 COP 9,866

89.71%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$1.83 COP 5,800

53.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.38 COP 4,360

50.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.05 COP 9,672

101.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.50 COP 17.4K

28.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 COP 4,600

-31.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.36 COP 7,496

67.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$1.68 COP 5,328

227.38%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.86 COP 9,077

66.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$10.19 COP 32.3K

53.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$9.53 COP 30.2K

2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$14.04 COP 44.5K

27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.07 COP 12.9K

18.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.50 COP 4,742

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.17 COP 6,891

128.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.31 COP 7,310

146.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.93 COP 6,113

16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.64 COP 5,196

120.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.13 COP 3,571

65.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.25 COP 3,954

70.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 $9.25

$3.99 COP 12.6K

131.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.35 COP 42.3K

14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.70 COP 5,384

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.37 COP 7,525

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.21 COP 3,827

62.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$76.5 COP 242.5K

35.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.32 COP 4,179

253.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.14 COP 6,774

-37.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.09 $18.09

$8.47 COP 26.8K

113.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.30 COP 4,114

-23.85%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

25.47%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.90%

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

$213 $213

$172 COP 545.6K

23.92%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$13.37 COP 42.4K

320.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$28.73 COP 91.1K

133.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 $40.15

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.04 COP 54.0K

4.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$6.28 COP 19.9K

87.42%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$770 COP 2.4M

92.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

76.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-37.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.10 $48.10

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$137 COP 432.9K

-32.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$97.9 COP 310.4K

23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 $1,233

$1,055 COP 3.3M

16.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$616 COP 2.0M

67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$1,892 COP 6.0M

14.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$1,023 COP 3.2M

64.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 $2,458

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-39.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 $2,304

$1,678 COP 5.3M

37.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,423 $3,423

$652 COP 2.1M

424.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.94

-39.95%

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

Last update for Norfolk, VA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Norfolk, VA

$1K 42.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 40.4% $417

Groceries & Markets

Norfolk, VA

$412 17%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 28.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norfolk, VA

$336 13.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 36.3% $122

Eating Out

Norfolk, VA

$319 13.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 47.1% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Norfolk, VA

$142 5.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 19.9% $28

Getting Around

Norfolk, VA

$123 5.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 24.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Norfolk, VA

$64 2.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 9.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,233 in Norfolk, VA 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 425% higher in Norfolk, VA, 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 $91.0 in Norfolk, VA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Norfolk, VA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

14:53 2:53 PM

1 h behind Norfolk, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,803

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Norfolk, VA Medellin 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Norfolk, VA
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

Norfolk, VA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Norfolk, VA is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,642 per month in Norfolk, VA 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 $91.0 in Norfolk, VA 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 $2,428 in Norfolk, VA and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 50%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Norfolk, VA at $2,428. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Norfolk, VA 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Norfolk, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.