Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,386 in Scranton, PA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,386

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,386 per month in Scranton, PA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Scranton, PA $2,386
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,328 per month in Scranton, PA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Scranton, PA $3,328
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,270 per month in Scranton, PA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Scranton, PA $4,270
Medellin $3,186

Scranton, PA costs about 46% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Scranton, PA and Medellin sit above the global median – Scranton, PA by 75%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 $11.79

$8.09 COP 26.1K

45.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$47.05 COP 151.7K

63.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 $6.01

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-36.74%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$3.01 COP 9,722

45.18%

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

$1.52 $1.52

$1.80 COP 5,801

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 COP 4,554

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.71 $6.71

$3.18 COP 10.2K

111.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.75 COP 18.5K

33.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.51 COP 4,869

-50.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.38 COP 7,667

-42.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.77 COP 5,712

20.34%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$2.89 COP 9,320

14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 $10.91

$10.19 COP 32.9K

7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.67 $8.67

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-20.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-7.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.55 COP 5,005

-17.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.18 COP 7,039

54.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.18 COP 7,041

104.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.96 COP 6,328

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.59 COP 5,125

103.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.15 COP 3,694

75.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.24 COP 4,009

-16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.28 $9.28

$3.96 COP 12.8K

134.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.04 $12.04

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-11.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.66 COP 5,352

76.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.26 COP 7,281

112.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.17 COP 3,766

52.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-21.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.27 COP 4,089

153.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.05 COP 6,603

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.65 $24.65

$8.55 COP 27.6K

188.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.35 COP 4,343

-19.26%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-20.52%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-22.91%

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

$237 $237

$170 COP 547.0K

39.55%

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

$39.88 $39.88

$13.55 COP 43.7K

194.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.44 $49.44

$28.07 COP 90.5K

76.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.90 $24.90

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-43.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 $15.78

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-8.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 $11.20

$6.91 COP 22.3K

62.08%

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

$769 $769

$797 COP 2.6M

-3.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

95.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.86 $45.86

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-45.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.04 $30.04

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-48.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 $73.8

$135 COP 435.2K

-45.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 $84.0

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,208 COP 3.9M

5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$642 COP 2.1M

103.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$2,028 COP 6.5M

5.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 $1,880

$1,012 COP 3.3M

85.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,703 $1,703

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-59.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 $1,421

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-25.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,250 $3,250

$657 COP 2.1M

394.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

10.94

-39.03%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scranton, PA

$1.3K 54.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 50.8% $662

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$326 13.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 35.2% $115

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$299 12.5%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 0.6% $1.9

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$224 9.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 24.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$105 4.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 60.7% $64

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 15.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$47 2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 21.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,274 in Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Scranton, PA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

Same time as Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Scranton, PA Medellin 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Scranton, PA
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

Scranton, PA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Scranton, PA is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,579 per month in Scranton, PA and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,274 in Scranton, PA and $1,208 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Scranton, PA and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Scranton, PA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,386 in Scranton, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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