Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alhambra, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Alhambra, CA versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Alhambra, CA $3,538
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,726 in Alhambra, CA versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Alhambra, CA $4,726
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,913 in Alhambra, CA versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Alhambra, CA $5,913
Medellin $3,199

Living in Alhambra, CA is roughly 118% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alhambra, CA 161% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.02 $25.02

$8.30 COP 26.3K

201.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$46.91 COP 148.7K

67.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 $15.02

$9.24 COP 29.3K

62.55%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.05 COP 9,676

92.13%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$1.80 COP 5,707

70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.38 COP 4,382

73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.24 COP 10.3K

120.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.56 COP 17.6K

76.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.50 COP 4,760

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.37 COP 7,508

121.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.70 COP 5,377

172.94%

Eggs

$6.01 $6.01

$2.96 COP 9,379

103.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$10.22 COP 32.4K

13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.37 $19.37

$13.90 COP 44.1K

39.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.13 COP 13.1K

12.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.53 COP 4,839

49.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.22 COP 7,052

79.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.27 COP 7,194

136.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.99 COP 6,311

64.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.67 COP 5,285

89.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.18 COP 3,742

64.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.24 COP 3,919

126.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$3.87 COP 12.3K

206.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.78 COP 43.7K

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.66 COP 5,256

46.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.40 COP 7,615

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.24 COP 3,944

37.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$78.2 COP 248.0K

40.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.28 COP 4,044

129.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.15 COP 6,803

-15.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 $31.75

$8.37 COP 26.5K

279.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.35 COP 4,288

9.63%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

0.23%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-24.80%

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

$287 $287

$167 COP 528.4K

71.98%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$13.62 COP 43.2K

471.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$29.12 COP 92.3K

154.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.90 $19.90

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-55.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 $15.76

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-8.27%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 $19.71

$6.97 COP 22.1K

182.78%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$790 COP 2.5M

48.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

253.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 $47.29

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$139 COP 440.7K

-24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$98.9 COP 313.5K

5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,028 COP 3.3M

120.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 $1,945

$620 COP 2.0M

214.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

$1,881 COP 6.0M

56.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$1,008 COP 3.2M

148.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,015 $7,015

$3,988 COP 12.6M

75.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 $5,888

$1,702 COP 5.4M

245.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,895 $4,895

$663 COP 2.1M

637.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

10.94

-42.32%

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

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 68.2% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 52.3% $229

Groceries & Markets

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 30.7% $132

Eating Out

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 56.5% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 20.3% $29

Getting Around

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 25.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,263 in Alhambra, CA and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 638% 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: $79.0 in Alhambra, CA vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

2 h ahead of Alhambra, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,089

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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 →

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Between locations

Alhambra, CA Medellin 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Alhambra, CA
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

Alhambra, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alhambra, CA and Medellin differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($3,538 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 638% higher in Alhambra, CA, 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: $2,263 in Alhambra, CA versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alhambra, CA. 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, Alhambra, CA 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 118% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.