Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,871 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,871
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $4,064
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,257
Medellin $3,186

Virginia Beach, VA costs about 75% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Virginia Beach, VA and Medellin sit above the global median – Virginia Beach, VA by 111%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 $18.35

$8.09 COP 25.4K

126.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 $90.9

$47.05 COP 148.0K

93.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$9.50 COP 29.9K

28.63%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$3.01 COP 9,485

99.34%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$1.80 COP 5,660

56.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.41 COP 4,443

53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.18 COP 9,990

89.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$5.75 COP 18.1K

25.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.51 COP 4,751

-31.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.38 COP 7,480

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.77 COP 5,573

209.04%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.89 COP 9,093

64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$10.19 COP 32.1K

2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 $18.16

$13.99 COP 44.0K

29.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-36.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.55 COP 4,883

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.18 COP 6,867

135.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.18 COP 6,870

164.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.96 COP 6,174

16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.59 COP 5,000

183.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.15 COP 3,604

54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.24 COP 3,911

91.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$3.96 COP 12.5K

141.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.66 COP 5,221

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.26 COP 7,103

-2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.17 COP 3,674

73.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 $70.8

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-8.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.27 COP 3,989

259.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.05 COP 6,442

-35.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$8.55 COP 26.9K

131.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 COP 4,237

-24.44%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-20.32%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-25.62%

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

$208 $208

$170 COP 533.7K

22.36%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$13.55 COP 42.6K

341.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$28.07 COP 88.3K

138.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.57 $25.57

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-41.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 $35.66

$17.19 COP 54.1K

107.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.49 $9.49

$6.91 COP 21.7K

37.34%

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

$1,620 $1,620

$797 COP 2.5M

103.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

77.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 $61.8

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.94 $47.94

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$135 COP 424.6K

-12.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$97.9 COP 307.9K

16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 $1,966

$1,208 COP 3.8M

62.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$642 COP 2.0M

142.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$2,028 COP 6.4M

41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$1,012 COP 3.2M

122.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 $2,706

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-35.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$1,910 COP 6.0M

22.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 $4,353

$657 COP 2.1M

562.48%

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 Virginia Beach, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.6K 54.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 58.7% $911

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 21.1% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 36.8% $123

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 47% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 10.2% $16

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 3.8% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 29.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA 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 Virginia Beach, VA are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

1 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Virginia Beach, VA Medellin 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Virginia Beach, VA
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

Virginia Beach, VA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Virginia Beach, VA is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,307 per month in Virginia Beach, VA and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Virginia Beach, VA and $47 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 $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 43% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Virginia Beach, VA at $2,871. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Virginia Beach, VA 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Virginia Beach, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.