Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summit, NJ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $3,842 in Summit, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Summit, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,842
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,842 per month in Summit, NJ vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Summit, NJ $3,842
  • Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $5,955 per month in Summit, NJ vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Summit, NJ $5,955
  • Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $8,069 per month in Summit, NJ vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Summit, NJ $8,069
  • Medellin $3,139

Summit, NJ costs about 142% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Summit, NJ and Medellin sit above the global median – Summit, NJ by 187%, Medellin by 19%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.62 $24.62
$8.01 COP 25.6K
207.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$46.55 COP 148.7K
115.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.09 $11.09
$9.43 COP 30.1K
17.60%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$2.91 COP 9,300
85.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.75 COP 5,599
28.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.32 COP 4,229
11.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.07 $8.07
$3.13 COP 9,993
157.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83 $7.83
$5.55 COP 17.7K
41.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.41 COP 4,506
-9.93%
White Bread (500g)
$4.27 $4.27
$2.44 COP 7,796
75.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.08 $6.08
$1.63 COP 5,204
273.01%
Eggs
$5.90 $5.90
$2.82 COP 9,012
109.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.92 $13.92
$9.69 COP 31.0K
43.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.46 $10.46
$9.32 COP 29.8K
12.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.59 $17.59
$13.46 COP 43.0K
30.68%
Apples (1kg)
$6.11 $6.11
$4.00 COP 12.8K
52.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.48 COP 4,730
15.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.16 $4.16
$2.12 COP 6,785
96.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$2.25 COP 7,196
131.56%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$1.91 COP 6,107
61.26%
Onion (1kg)
$3.66 $3.66
$1.62 COP 5,173
125.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.15 COP 3,667
166.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.26 COP 4,031
131.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.28 $11.28
$3.82 COP 12.2K
195.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.83 $19.83
$13.11 COP 41.9K
51.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.60 COP 5,096
11.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 $5.30
$2.26 COP 7,206
134.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.17 COP 3,740
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$75.0 COP 239.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.03 $3.03
$1.27 COP 4,066
138.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.09 $2.09
$2.05 COP 6,548
1.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.22 $24.22
$8.20 COP 26.2K
195.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.27 COP 4,056
-11.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K $35.2K
$26.8K COP 85.5M
31.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$34.4K COP 109.9M
-26.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 $213
$162 COP 518.2K
31.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.2 $61.2
$13.12 COP 41.9K
366.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$28.09 COP 89.7K
80.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.2 $80.2
$44.33 COP 141.6K
80.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 COP 52.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.75 $14.75
$6.09 COP 19.4K
142.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,015 $2,015
$764 COP 2.4M
163.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K $16.2K
$8,904 COP 28.4M
82.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.66 $41.66
$85.0 COP 271.4K
-50.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.6 $57.6
$57.5 COP 183.6K
0.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.8 $74.8
$132 COP 420.9K
-43.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$95.8 COP 305.9K
24.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,697 $2,697
$1,028 COP 3.3M
162.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,457 $2,457
$604 COP 1.9M
306.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,556 $5,556
$1,802 COP 5.8M
208.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,055 $5,055
$993 COP 3.2M
409.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,921 COP 12.5M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,639 COP 5.2M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Summit, NJ
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$626 COP 2.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
10.94
-38.30%

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

Last update for Summit, NJ: October 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Summit, NJ
$2.5K
Medellin
$604 75.4% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Summit, NJ
$457
Medellin
$288 36.8% $168
Eating Out
Summit, NJ
$366
Medellin
$166 54.6% $200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Summit, NJ
$325
Medellin
$203 37.5% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Summit, NJ
$132
Medellin
$166 26.3% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Summit, NJ
$110
Medellin
$57 48.5% $53
Getting Around
Summit, NJ
$13 *
Medellin
$91 576% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,697 in Summit, NJ versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Summit, NJ versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $288 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Summit, NJ
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
05:03 5:03 AM
04:03 4:03 AM
1 h behind Summit, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,161
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,566 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Summit, NJ Medellin 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Summit, NJ
  • 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
Summit, NJ vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Summit, NJ?
Yes – Summit, NJ is pricier by about 142%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,762 per month in Summit, NJ and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Summit, NJ or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Summit, NJ and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Summit, NJ and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 58% more in Summit, NJ, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Summit, NJ or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Summit, NJ at $3,842. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Summit, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Summit, NJ or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Summit, NJ or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Summit, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Summit, NJ vs other spots: cost of living compared

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