Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,560 in Passaic, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Passaic, NJ
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Passaic, NJ Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Passaic, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,560

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Passaic, NJ vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Passaic, NJ $2,560
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Passaic, NJ vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Passaic, NJ $4,020
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,479 per month in Passaic, NJ vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Passaic, NJ $5,479
Medellin $3,186

Passaic, NJ costs about 56% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Passaic, NJ and Medellin sit above the global median – Passaic, NJ by 88%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 $19.09

$8.09 COP 25.4K

135.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$47.05 COP 148.0K

70.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 $12.88

$9.50 COP 29.9K

35.58%

Cappuccino

$6.41 $6.41

$3.01 COP 9,485

112.96%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.80 COP 5,660

37.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.41 COP 4,443

7.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.18 COP 9,990

145.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$5.75 COP 18.1K

18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.51 COP 4,751

-17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.38 COP 7,480

87.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.77 COP 5,573

233.90%

Eggs

$6.21 $6.21

$2.89 COP 9,093

114.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$10.19 COP 32.1K

87.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$9.87 COP 31.1K

3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$13.99 COP 44.0K

40.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.97 COP 12.5K

55.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.55 COP 4,883

53.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.18 COP 6,867

99.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.18 COP 6,870

141.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.96 COP 6,174

118.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.59 COP 5,000

183.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.15 COP 3,604

163.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.24 COP 3,911

145.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.95 $14.95

$3.96 COP 12.5K

277.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$13.68 COP 43.0K

10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.66 COP 5,221

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.26 COP 7,103

56.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.17 COP 3,674

75.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.2 $60.2

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-22.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.27 COP 3,989

138.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.05 COP 6,442

5.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.59 $41.59

$8.55 COP 26.9K

386.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.35 COP 4,237

-18.52%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-17.36%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-26.16%

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

$171 $171

$170 COP 533.7K

1.00%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$13.55 COP 42.6K

279.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 $50.9

$28.07 COP 88.3K

81.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 $39.58

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-9.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$20.36 $20.36

$6.91 COP 21.7K

194.65%

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

$2,008 $2,008

$797 COP 2.5M

152.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

77.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-39.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$135 COP 424.6K

-36.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$97.9 COP 307.9K

3.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$1,208 COP 3.8M

48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$642 COP 2.0M

83.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 $2,640

$2,028 COP 6.4M

30.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,356 $2,356

$1,012 COP 3.2M

132.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,526 $2,526

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-39.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,404 $2,404

$1,910 COP 6.0M

25.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,717 $3,717

$657 COP 2.1M

465.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

10.94

-37.84%

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

Last update for Passaic, NJ: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Passaic, NJ

$1.2K 46%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 45.6% $537

Groceries & Markets

Passaic, NJ

$479 18.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 37.9% $182

Eating Out

Passaic, NJ

$337 13.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 49.7% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Passaic, NJ

$274 10.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 22.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Passaic, NJ

$130 5.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 29.9% $39

Getting Around

Passaic, NJ

$82 3.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 13.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Passaic, NJ

$80 3.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 28.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Passaic, NJ 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.

Salaries in Passaic, NJ are about 5.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Passaic, NJ versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Passaic, NJ

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

1 h behind Passaic, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,974

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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Passaic, NJ Medellin 3,850 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

Passaic, NJ vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Passaic, NJ is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Passaic, NJ 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 $1,789 in Passaic, NJ.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Passaic, NJ 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 $2,560 in Passaic, NJ and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 36% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Passaic, NJ at $2,560. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Passaic, NJ 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Passaic, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.