Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,095 in Ames, IA versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,171 in Ames, IA versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,246 in Ames, IA versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 103% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ames, IA is 57% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 $17.67

$6.16 COP 20.0K

186.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 $45.18

$32.60 COP 106.0K

38.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$7.34 COP 23.9K

24.93%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$1.72 COP 5,592

207.56%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$1.05 COP 3,416

92.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.77 COP 2,511

132.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.69 COP 5,480

79.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$3.17 COP 10.3K

121.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.05 COP 3,418

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.30 COP 4,230

177.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.40 COP 4,538

117.86%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$2.16 COP 7,037

48.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$4.39 COP 14.3K

117.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$5.88 COP 19.1K

96.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$8.64 COP 28.1K

65.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.28 COP 7,415

117.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.11 COP 3,599

4.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$1.53 COP 4,976

269.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.35 COP 4,405

277.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.13 COP 3,669

251.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.13 COP 3,687

234.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.85 COP 2,749

137.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.91 COP 2,971

109.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.18 $9.18

$2.34 COP 7,619

292.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 $16.12

$12.37 COP 40.2K

30.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.20 COP 3,904

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.49 COP 8,094

83.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.84 COP 2,724

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.34 $48.34

$40.57 COP 131.9K

19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.42 COP 4,617

257.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.92 COP 6,227

-26.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.06 $49.06

$7.66 COP 24.9K

540.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.99 COP 3,219

-12.12%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

41.08%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-5.33%

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

$193 $193

$80.8 COP 262.7K

138.70%

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

$48.88 $48.88

$9.95 COP 32.3K

391.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 $72.8

$24.18 COP 78.6K

201.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 $69.1

$25.08 COP 81.5K

175.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.83 $19.83

$19.15 COP 62.3K

3.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$3.98 COP 13.0K

252.26%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$305 COP 992.2K

377.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

401.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.41 $39.41

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-32.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.67 $42.67

$32.20 COP 104.7K

32.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$101 COP 327.5K

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$108 COP 350.3K

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 $989

$477 COP 1.5M

107.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 $814

$376 COP 1.2M

116.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$845 COP 2.7M

125.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 $1,667

$730 COP 2.4M

128.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 $2,363

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-26.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,255 $2,255

$1,372 COP 4.5M

64.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 $3,584

$617 COP 2.0M

481.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

13.43

-55.17%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Ames, IA and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 481% 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: $45.00 in Ames, IA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Ames, IA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 481% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $989 in Ames, IA versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 19% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Ames, IA versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,095 in Ames, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.