Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alamosa, CO and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,380 in Alamosa, CO, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alamosa, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,380
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,380 in Alamosa, CO versus $1,625 in Medellin.

  • Alamosa, CO $2,380
  • Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Alamosa, CO versus $2,412 in Medellin.

  • Alamosa, CO $3,444
  • Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,509 in Alamosa, CO versus $3,199 in Medellin.

  • Alamosa, CO $4,509
  • Medellin $3,199

Living in Alamosa, CO is roughly 47% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alamosa, CO 76% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.91 $12.91
$8.30 COP 26.3K
55.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.99 $48.99
$46.91 COP 148.7K
4.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.61 $8.61
$9.24 COP 29.3K
-6.82%
Cappuccino
$4.88 $4.88
$3.05 COP 9,676
60.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.80 COP 5,707
23.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.38 COP 4,382
7.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.24 COP 10.3K
88.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.98 $7.98
$5.56 COP 17.6K
43.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.50 COP 4,760
-33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.30 $3.30
$2.37 COP 7,508
39.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.53 $4.53
$1.70 COP 5,377
166.47%
Eggs
$2.53 $2.53
$2.96 COP 9,379
-14.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.71 $6.71
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-34.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.73 $9.73
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-0.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.46 $20.46
$13.90 COP 44.1K
47.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.72 $4.72
$4.13 COP 13.1K
14.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 $1.43
$1.53 COP 4,839
-6.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$2.22 COP 7,052
45.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 $1.64
$2.27 COP 7,194
-27.75%
Potato (1kg)
$0.53 $0.53
$1.99 COP 6,311
-73.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.67 COP 5,285
-33.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.18 COP 3,742
26.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$1.24 COP 3,919
121.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.84 $10.84
$3.87 COP 12.3K
180.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.88 $13.88
$13.78 COP 43.7K
0.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$1.66 COP 5,256
51.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 $3.52
$2.40 COP 7,615
46.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.24 COP 3,944
52.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.53 $3.53
$1.28 COP 4,044
175.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.15 COP 6,803
-6.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.46 $31.46
$8.37 COP 26.5K
275.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.35 COP 4,288
-25.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K $29.3K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-15.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-28.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 $143
$167 COP 528.4K
-14.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.4 $64.4
$13.62 COP 43.2K
372.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$29.12 COP 92.3K
144.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.24 $42.24
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-6.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.81 $12.81
$6.97 COP 22.1K
83.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,490 $1,490
$790 COP 2.5M
88.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.1K $25.1K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
178.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 $53.4
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-39.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.08 $44.08
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-24.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$139 COP 440.7K
-24.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$98.9 COP 313.5K
20.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,566 $1,566
$1,028 COP 3.3M
52.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$620 COP 2.0M
105.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,474 $2,474
$1,881 COP 6.0M
31.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,145 $2,145
$1,008 COP 3.2M
112.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,845 $2,845
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-28.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,271 $2,271
$1,702 COP 5.4M
33.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alamosa, CO
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,716 $7,716
$663 COP 2.1M
1063.15%
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 Alamosa, CO: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alamosa, CO
$1.3K
Medellin
$619 51.4% $655
Groceries & Markets
Alamosa, CO
$345
Medellin
$298 13.6% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alamosa, CO
$278
Medellin
$209 24.7% $69
Eating Out
Alamosa, CO
$249
Medellin
$171 31.4% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Alamosa, CO
$145
Medellin
$173 19.2% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Alamosa, CO
$68
Medellin
$59 13% $8.8
Getting Around
Alamosa, CO
$21 *
Medellin
$95 351% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Alamosa, CO and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alamosa, CO pays 1063% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Alamosa, CO vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Alamosa, CO
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
20:15 8:15 PM
21:15 9:15 PM
1 h ahead of Alamosa, CO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,000
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alamosa, CO Medellin 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Alamosa, CO
  • 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
Alamosa, CO vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Alamosa, CO and in Medellin?
Alamosa, CO and Medellin differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,380 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Alamosa, CO or Medellin?
Average pay runs 1063% higher in Alamosa, CO, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Alamosa, CO and in Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,566 in Alamosa, CO versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Alamosa, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Alamosa, CO or Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $2,380 per month in Alamosa, CO versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,380 in Alamosa, CO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alamosa, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Alamosa, CO and Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Alamosa, CO or Medellin?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Alamosa, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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