Migration corridor

Moving from Miami to Medellín

Core monthly essentials are 66% cheaper in Medellín — $2,835 → $970 a month. Here's the salary you'd need, what changes line by line, and what you gain or give up.

$2,835
Miami / mo
$970
Medellín / mo
−$1,865
Monthly difference

What you'd need to cover the same essentials

Scaled by the basket we actually price — 1-BR rent, coworking, transit and a meal a day. A planning heuristic for essentials, not a whole-lifestyle budget. (Broader cost index, New York = 100: Miami 41 vs Medellín 18.)

$3,000/mo in Miami≈ $1,026/mo in Medellín
$5,000/mo in Miami≈ $1,711/mo in Medellín
$8,000/mo in Miami≈ $2,737/mo in Medellín

What changes, line by line

1-BR rent (city center)$2,000→$600-70%
Coworking / month$275→$180-35%
Transit pass / month$110→$40-64%
Meal out$15→$5-67%
Local income tax
0% → 19%

19 points higher if you take a local job. Keeping foreign income? Your own tax residency rules apply.

Visa route
—

No dedicated nomad visa tracked for Colombia. Check official work or long-stay routes.

What you gain or give up

Safety index62 →60 -3%
Walkability70 →72 +3%
Internet250 Mbps→95 Mbps-62%

Safety and walkability are 0–100 scores. Free to cite with a link to Meridian.

Same salary, different rank

On $3,000/month you rank Villager (level 17) in Miami — and Merchant (level 61) in Medellín. Check your own income →

Keep researching

Medellín cost breakdownMiami cost breakdownMiami vs Medellín

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to live in Medellín compared to Miami?

Core monthly essentials — a city-center 1-bedroom, coworking, a transit pass and one meal out a day — run about $970/month in Medellín versus $2,835/month in Miami. That is roughly 66% cheaper, a difference of $1,865 a month.

What salary do I need in Medellín to cover what I cover in Miami?

Scaling by core essentials — a city-center 1-bedroom, coworking, a transit pass and one meal out a day — $3,000/month in Miami corresponds to roughly $1,026/month in Medellín, and $5,000 to about $1,711. Treat it as a heuristic for essentials, not a full budget: groceries, utilities and healthcare sit outside the basket on purpose, so every figure traces to a named line item. For broader context, the cost index (New York = 100) is 41 in Miami vs 18 in Medellín.

Is there a visa to move to Colombia?

We don't currently track a dedicated digital nomad visa for Colombia. Check the country's official immigration portal for work, residence, or long-stay options.

How do taxes compare between Miami and Medellín?

Medellín's local income tax rate is about 19%, versus 0% in Miami — 19 percentage points higher. This models taking a local job at the destination; if you keep foreign income, your own tax residency rules apply instead.

Moving soon?

Get the monthly cost index — which cities got pricier, and where your salary goes furthest.

Can you actually afford it?

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