Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albert Lea, MN and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Albert Lea, MN $1,944
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Albert Lea, MN $2,969
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Albert Lea, MN $3,995
Medellin $3,199

Living in Albert Lea, MN is roughly 20% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albert Lea, MN 43% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$8.30 COP 26.3K

141.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$46.91 COP 148.7K

116.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$9.24 COP 29.3K

29.00%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$3.05 COP 9,676

106.23%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$1.80 COP 5,707

70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.38 COP 4,382

85.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.24 COP 10.3K

50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$5.56 COP 17.6K

2.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.50 COP 4,760

-38.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.37 COP 7,508

23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.70 COP 5,377

27.65%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$2.96 COP 9,379

31.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-13.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$9.74 COP 30.9K

70.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$13.90 COP 44.1K

36.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.13 COP 13.1K

30.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.53 COP 4,839

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.22 COP 7,052

120.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.27 COP 7,194

63.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.99 COP 6,311

37.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.67 COP 5,285

32.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.18 COP 3,742

128.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.24 COP 3,919

85.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 $9.92

$3.87 COP 12.3K

156.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$13.78 COP 43.7K

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.66 COP 5,256

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.40 COP 7,615

41.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.24 COP 3,944

68.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.28 COP 4,044

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.15 COP 6,803

-40.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.31 $20.31

$8.37 COP 26.5K

142.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.35 COP 4,288

-30.37%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-23.27%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-26.20%

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

$185 $185

$167 COP 528.4K

10.80%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$13.62 COP 43.2K

291.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$29.12 COP 92.3K

173.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.66 $39.66

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$6.97 COP 22.1K

40.89%

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

$1,350 $1,350

$790 COP 2.5M

70.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

32.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.76 $45.76

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-47.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 $24.54

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-57.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 $50.6

$139 COP 440.7K

-63.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 $59.6

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$1,028 COP 3.3M

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 $739

$620 COP 2.0M

19.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 $1,188

$1,008 COP 3.2M

17.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 $2,942

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-26.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,702 COP 5.4M

19.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 $2,957

$663 COP 2.1M

345.77%

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 Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 16.2% $120

Groceries & Markets

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 25.5% $102

Eating Out

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 48.2% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 34.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 113% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 470% $78

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 $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albert Lea, MN pays 346% 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: $102 in Albert Lea, MN vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

Same time as Albert Lea, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,758

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 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).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Albert Lea, MN Medellin 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Albert Lea, MN
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

Albert Lea, MN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albert Lea, MN and Medellin differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,944 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 346% higher in Albert Lea, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $102 in Albert Lea, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Albert Lea, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Albert Lea, MN and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Albert Lea, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.