Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,245 per month in Rochester vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,317 per month in Rochester vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,390 per month in Rochester vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Rochester costs about 31% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rochester and Medellin sit above the global median – Rochester by 63%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 £18.17

$8.03 COP 25.1K

205.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 £73.2

$48.26 COP 151.0K

104.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 £7.55

$9.77 COP 30.6K

4.50%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.52

$2.91 COP 9,107

63.57%

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

$3.18 £2.36

$1.94 COP 6,082

63.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.05

$1.52 COP 4,760

82.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 £4.58

$3.09 COP 9,676

100.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 £4.14

$5.74 COP 18.0K

-2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.36 COP 4,267

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 £1.55

$2.39 COP 7,470

-12.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.70 COP 5,321

1.76%

Eggs

$2.96 £2.19

$2.87 COP 8,979

3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 £3.59

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-51.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.42 £5.49

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-31.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 £8.48

$14.73 COP 46.1K

-22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 £2.03

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-32.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.57 COP 4,917

23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 £1.89

$2.13 COP 6,651

20.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 £1.77

$2.21 COP 6,926

8.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.50

$2.05 COP 6,404

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.50 COP 4,706

-14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.19 COP 3,723

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.16 COP 3,623

47.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.80 £16.87

$3.90 COP 12.2K

484.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 £7.98

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.22

$1.58 COP 4,955

89.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.41

$2.83 COP 8,847

14.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 £2.61

$1.17 COP 3,655

201.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.1

$77.7 COP 243.2K

21.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 £3.76

$1.28 COP 4,019

296.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 £2.06

$2.09 COP 6,546

33.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.53 £30.72

$8.62 COP 27.0K

381.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.57

$1.30 COP 4,061

63.85%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

43.37%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

16.13%

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

$194 £143

$176 COP 550.9K

10.10%

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

$17.17 £12.70

$13.37 COP 41.8K

28.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 £22.38

$29.89 COP 93.5K

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.32

$44.76 COP 140.0K

-8.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$18.11 £13.40

$6.20 COP 19.4K

192.10%

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

$506 £374

$793 COP 2.5M

-36.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K £23.4K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

250.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 £49.83

$85.6 COP 267.8K

-21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.50 £29.96

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 £44.70

$136 COP 426.4K

-55.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 £67.3

$103 COP 322.6K

-11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 £1,019

$1,060 COP 3.3M

30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 £785

$680 COP 2.1M

56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 £1,350

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-9.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 £1,276

$1,169 COP 3.7M

47.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,369 £3,972

$4,111 COP 12.9M

30.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,056 £3,001

$1,701 COP 5.3M

138.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,352 £2,480

$665 COP 2.1M

403.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

10.94

-53.20%

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

Last update for Rochester: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Rochester versus $1,060 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 404% higher in Rochester, 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 $99.0 in Rochester versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Rochester vs $303 in Medellin – so Rochester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Rochester vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rochester is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,368 per month in Rochester and $2,574 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 $99.0 in Rochester and $48.00 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 $2,245 in Rochester and $1,716 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Rochester at $2,245. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rochester 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, Rochester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.