Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,876 in Wilmington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,876 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,876
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,129
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,382 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,382
Medellin $3,186

Wilmington, NC costs about 75% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wilmington, NC and Medellin sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 111%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$8.09 COP 25.4K

86.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$47.05 COP 148.0K

70.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$9.50 COP 29.9K

13.68%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.01 COP 9,485

84.39%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.80 COP 5,660

40.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.41 COP 4,443

67.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.18 COP 9,990

61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$5.75 COP 18.1K

20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.51 COP 4,751

-34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.38 COP 7,480

68.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$1.77 COP 5,573

229.94%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$2.89 COP 9,093

84.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$10.19 COP 32.1K

11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$9.87 COP 31.1K

46.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.47 $25.47

$13.99 COP 44.0K

82.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 $6.38

$3.97 COP 12.5K

60.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.55 COP 4,883

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$2.18 COP 6,867

216.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.18 COP 6,870

183.94%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.96 COP 6,174

108.67%

Onion (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.59 COP 5,000

273.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.15 COP 3,604

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.24 COP 3,911

153.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$3.96 COP 12.5K

118.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$13.68 COP 43.0K

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.66 COP 5,221

21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 $6.00

$2.26 COP 7,103

165.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.17 COP 3,674

73.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 $79.4

$77.4 COP 243.4K

2.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 $7.03

$1.27 COP 3,989

453.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.05 COP 6,442

-7.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.35 COP 4,237

-23.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-20.47%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-24.16%

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

$286 $286

$170 COP 533.7K

68.83%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$13.55 COP 42.6K

311.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$28.07 COP 88.3K

171.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 $56.1

$43.70 COP 137.5K

28.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.08 $4.08

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-76.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$6.91 COP 21.7K

115.48%

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

$1,339 $1,339

$797 COP 2.5M

68.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 $70.9

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.96 $41.96

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-27.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$135 COP 424.6K

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 $68.8

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$1,208 COP 3.8M

35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$642 COP 2.0M

112.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 $2,819

$2,028 COP 6.4M

39.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$1,012 COP 3.2M

109.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,291 $3,291

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-21.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,910 COP 6.0M

32.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$657 COP 2.1M

498.91%

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 Wilmington, NC: 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

Wilmington, NC

$1.4K 47.3%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 52.8% $719

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$501 17.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 40.8% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$418 14.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 49.5% $207

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$279 9.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 39.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$127 4.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 33.5% $42

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$104 3.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 10.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$86 3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 33% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,640 in Wilmington, NC 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 Wilmington, NC are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wilmington, NC versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $501 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

1 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 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 →

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Wilmington, NC Medellin 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, NC
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

Wilmington, NC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wilmington, NC is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,313 per month in Wilmington, NC 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 $1,640 in Wilmington, NC.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Wilmington, NC 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 $2,876 in Wilmington, NC 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 Wilmington, NC at $2,876. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wilmington, NC 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, Wilmington, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.