Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,910 in Washington, DC, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,910

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,910 per month in Washington, DC vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Washington, DC $3,910
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $6,024 per month in Washington, DC vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Washington, DC $6,024
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $8,138 per month in Washington, DC vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Washington, DC $8,138
Medellin $3,249

Washington, DC costs about 131% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Washington, DC and Medellin sit above the global median – Washington, DC by 189%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.59 $23.59

$8.34 COP 26.9K

182.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 $105

$46.53 COP 150.1K

125.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.47 COP 30.5K

31.36%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$3.13 COP 10.1K

92.33%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$1.77 COP 5,696

84.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.42 COP 4,594

86.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.73 $8.73

$3.15 COP 10.2K

177.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$5.70 COP 18.4K

77.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.53 COP 4,943

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.29 COP 7,389

78.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$1.94 COP 6,273

258.76%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$3.07 COP 9,889

81.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 $16.74

$9.99 COP 32.2K

67.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$10.45 COP 33.7K

62.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.89 $18.89

$13.96 COP 45.0K

35.32%

Apples (1kg)

$7.45 $7.45

$4.05 COP 13.1K

83.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.53 COP 4,929

58.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.10 COP 6,786

140.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.29 COP 7,397

153.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.11 COP 6,803

38.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.71 COP 5,512

118.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.17 COP 3,774

122.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.58 COP 5,096

70.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 $13.81

$3.91 COP 12.6K

253.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.06 $16.06

$14.04 COP 45.3K

14.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.76 COP 5,682

81.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.71 COP 8,746

112.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.18 COP 3,805

168.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 $118

$76.3 COP 246.0K

54.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.81 COP 5,827

114.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.13 COP 6,867

-27.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.94 $24.94

$8.13 COP 26.2K

206.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.28 COP 4,113

-9.38%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.4K COP 111.1M

0.32%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.1K COP 110.1M

-23.82%

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

$210 $210

$178 COP 573.2K

18.08%

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

$79.5 $79.5

$13.89 COP 44.8K

472.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.7 $77.7

$30.74 COP 99.1K

152.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 $100

$41.94 COP 135.3K

138.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.2 $73.2

$16.80 COP 54.2K

335.89%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 $17.90

$7.47 COP 24.1K

139.63%

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

$2,956 $2,956

$790 COP 2.5M

274.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$50.0K $50.0K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

306.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 $72.2

$86.3 COP 278.4K

-16.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 $43.69

$59.3 COP 191.1K

-26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$138 COP 446.2K

-25.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$98.8 COP 318.7K

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 $2,721

$1,341 COP 4.3M

102.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 $2,209

$667 COP 2.2M

231.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,995 $4,995

$1,976 COP 6.4M

152.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,231 $4,231

$1,033 COP 3.3M

309.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,895 $7,895

$4,098 COP 13.2M

92.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 $3,695

$1,940 COP 6.3M

90.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,306 $6,306

$646 COP 2.1M

875.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

10.94

-37.29%

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

Last update for Washington, DC: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56.5%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 69.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$516 13.2%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 40.4% $209

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$386 9.9%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 55.3% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$367 9.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 39.4% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$154 3.9%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 11.9% $18

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$142 3.6%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 34.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$136 3.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 58.2% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,721 in Washington, DC versus $1,341 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 Washington, DC are about 9.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Washington, DC versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

Same time as Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,620 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Washington, DC Medellin 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Washington, DC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Washington, DC is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,864 per month in Washington, DC and $2,538 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 $1,341 there versus $2,721 in Washington, DC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Washington, DC 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 $3,910 in Washington, DC and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 57% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Washington, DC at $3,910. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Washington, DC 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, Washington, DC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.