Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utica, NY and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,496 in Utica, NY, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Utica, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,496
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,496 per month in Utica, NY vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Utica, NY $2,496
  • Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $3,915 per month in Utica, NY vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Utica, NY $3,915
  • Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $5,335 per month in Utica, NY vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Utica, NY $5,335
  • Medellin $3,139

Utica, NY costs about 57% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Utica, NY and Medellin sit above the global median – Utica, NY by 86%, Medellin by 19%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.73 $16.73
$8.01 COP 25.5K
108.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.1 $74.1
$46.55 COP 148.4K
59.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 $11.10
$9.43 COP 30.1K
17.71%
Cappuccino
$5.37 $5.37
$2.91 COP 9,280
84.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$1.75 COP 5,586
54.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.32 COP 4,220
30.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.07 $5.07
$3.13 COP 9,972
61.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.98 $5.98
$5.55 COP 17.7K
7.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.41 COP 4,496
-33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.44 COP 7,779
45.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.63 COP 5,192
83.44%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$2.82 COP 8,993
64.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.34 $13.34
$9.69 COP 30.9K
37.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.99 $9.99
$9.32 COP 29.7K
7.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.82 $15.82
$13.46 COP 42.9K
17.53%
Apples (1kg)
$4.88 $4.88
$4.00 COP 12.8K
22.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.48 COP 4,720
0.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.21 $4.21
$2.12 COP 6,770
98.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$2.25 COP 7,180
135.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 $1.61
$1.91 COP 6,093
-15.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.62 COP 5,162
29.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 $2.41
$1.15 COP 3,659
109.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.26 COP 4,022
84.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.55 $13.55
$3.82 COP 12.2K
254.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.17 $12.17
$13.11 COP 41.8K
-7.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.60 COP 5,084
26.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.26 COP 7,190
53.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.17 COP 3,732
25.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.92 $42.92
$75.0 COP 239.1K
-42.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.14 $5.14
$1.27 COP 4,057
304.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.05 COP 6,533
5.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.35 $45.35
$8.20 COP 26.1K
453.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.27 COP 4,047
-28.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.8K $31.8K
$26.8K COP 85.3M
18.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K $24.9K
$34.4K COP 109.7M
-27.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$162 COP 517.0K
15.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.8 $51.8
$13.12 COP 41.8K
294.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.5 $67.5
$28.09 COP 89.5K
140.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.18 $40.18
$44.33 COP 141.3K
-9.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 COP 52.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.10 $13.10
$6.09 COP 19.4K
115.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$806 $806
$764 COP 2.4M
5.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.0K $33.0K
$8,904 COP 28.4M
270.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.1 $54.1
$85.0 COP 270.8K
-36.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.32 $44.32
$57.5 COP 183.2K
-22.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.0 $83.0
$132 COP 420.0K
-36.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 $89.6
$95.8 COP 305.2K
-6.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,183 $1,183
$1,028 COP 3.3M
15.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 $1,289
$604 COP 1.9M
113.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,055 $2,055
$1,802 COP 5.7M
14.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,606 $2,606
$993 COP 3.2M
162.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,624 $1,624
$3,921 COP 12.5M
-58.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,663 $1,663
$1,639 COP 5.2M
1.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Utica, NY
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,600 $3,600
$626 COP 2.0M
474.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.52
10.94
-40.40%

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

Last update for Utica, NY: 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
Utica, NY
$1.3K
Medellin
$604 53.1% $685
Groceries & Markets
Utica, NY
$377
Medellin
$288 23.6% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Utica, NY
$307
Medellin
$203 33.7% $104
Eating Out
Utica, NY
$287
Medellin
$166 42% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Utica, NY
$122
Medellin
$166 36.5% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Utica, NY
$66
Medellin
$57 14.9% $9.9
Getting Around
Utica, NY
$65
Medellin
$91 40.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,183 in Utica, NY 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.

Salaries run about 475% higher in Utica, NY, 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 $74.0 in Utica, NY versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $288 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Utica, NY
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
11:38 11:38 AM
10:38 10:38 AM
1 h behind Utica, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,283
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,572 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Utica, NY Medellin 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Utica, NY
  • 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
Utica, NY vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Utica, NY?
Yes – Utica, NY is pricier by about 57%, 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 $3,744 per month in Utica, NY 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 Utica, NY or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Utica, NY and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Utica, NY and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,496 in Utica, NY and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 57%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Utica, NY or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Utica, NY at $2,496. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utica, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Utica, NY 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 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, Utica, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Utica, NY vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?