Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdez, AK and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,724 in Valdez, AK, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,724

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Valdez, AK vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Valdez, AK $2,724
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $4,067 per month in Valdez, AK vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Valdez, AK $4,067
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $5,410 per month in Valdez, AK vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Valdez, AK $5,410
Medellin $3,139

Valdez, AK costs about 71% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Valdez, AK and Medellin sit above the global median – Valdez, AK by 103%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.01 $24.01

$8.01 COP 25.5K

199.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$46.55 COP 148.3K

118.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.75 $19.75

$9.43 COP 30.1K

109.44%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$2.91 COP 9,277

42.96%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.75 COP 5,585

42.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.32 COP 4,218

68.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.13 COP 9,969

121.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$5.55 COP 17.7K

64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 COP 4,495

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.44 COP 7,777

45.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.63 COP 5,191

168.10%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.82 COP 8,990

51.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$9.69 COP 30.9K

30.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$9.32 COP 29.7K

22.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$13.46 COP 42.9K

24.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.00 COP 12.8K

25.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.48 COP 4,719

10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.12 COP 6,768

98.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.25 COP 7,178

110.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.91 COP 6,092

50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.62 COP 5,160

80.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.15 COP 3,658

89.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.26 COP 4,021

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$3.82 COP 12.2K

164.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$13.11 COP 41.8K

14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.60 COP 5,083

26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.26 COP 7,188

49.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.17 COP 3,731

74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.27 COP 4,056

186.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.05 COP 6,531

-21.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 $27.73

$8.20 COP 26.1K

238.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.27 COP 4,046

5.51%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$26.8K COP 85.3M

29.26%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-26.73%

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

$309 $309

$162 COP 516.9K

90.24%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$13.12 COP 41.8K

340.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 $97.8

$28.09 COP 89.5K

247.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 $41.96

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-5.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$6.09 COP 19.4K

131.03%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$764 COP 2.4M

105.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

159.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-32.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.87 $35.87

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-37.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$132 COP 419.8K

-30.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$95.8 COP 305.1K

32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$1,028 COP 3.3M

53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$604 COP 1.9M

116.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,688 $2,688

$1,802 COP 5.7M

49.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$993 COP 3.2M

145.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-40.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,639 COP 5.2M

32.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,523 $7,523

$626 COP 2.0M

1101.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.94

-39.95%

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

Last update for Valdez, AK: 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

Valdez, AK

$1.3K 47.1%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 53.7% $702

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdez, AK

$464 16.7%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 56.2% $261

Groceries & Markets

Valdez, AK

$398 14.4%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 27.5% $109

Eating Out

Valdez, AK

$373 13.5%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 55.4% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Valdez, AK

$141 5.1%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 18.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Valdez, AK

$70 2.5%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 19.4% $14

Getting Around

Valdez, AK

$20 * 0.7%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 359% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Valdez, AK 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 1102% higher in Valdez, AK, 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 $102 in Valdez, AK versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $288 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

3 h ahead of Valdez, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Valdez, AK Medellin 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdez, AK
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

Valdez, AK vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Valdez, AK is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Valdez, AK and $2,384 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 $102 in Valdez, AK and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Valdez, AK, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Valdez, AK at $2,724. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Valdez, AK 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.

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.

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