Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Ames, IA $2,142
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Ames, IA $3,242
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Ames, IA $4,342
Medellin $3,190

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 33% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$7.93 COP 25.2K

128.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$46.13 COP 146.3K

12.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.50 COP 30.1K

28.21%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.11 COP 9,866

56.59%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.83 COP 5,800

42.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.38 COP 4,360

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.05 COP 9,672

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$5.50 COP 17.4K

23.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.45 COP 4,600

-38.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.36 COP 7,496

50.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.68 COP 5,328

94.05%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.86 COP 9,077

16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$9.53 COP 30.2K

42.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.04 COP 44.5K

35.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.07 COP 12.9K

44.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.50 COP 4,742

21.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.17 COP 6,891

208.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.31 COP 7,310

125.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.93 COP 6,113

135.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.64 COP 5,196

148.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.13 COP 3,571

105.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.25 COP 3,954

95.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$3.99 COP 12.6K

226.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$13.35 COP 42.3K

20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.70 COP 5,384

68.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.37 COP 7,525

110.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 COP 3,827

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-53.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.32 COP 4,179

285.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.14 COP 6,774

-21.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$8.47 COP 26.8K

184.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.30 COP 4,114

-26.15%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-11.63%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-29.20%

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

$176 $176

$172 COP 545.6K

2.45%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$13.37 COP 42.4K

306.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$28.73 COP 91.1K

147.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$45.24 COP 143.5K

52.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$17.04 COP 54.0K

15.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$6.28 COP 19.9K

154.30%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$770 COP 2.4M

77.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

301.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-21.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$137 COP 432.9K

-33.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$97.9 COP 310.4K

6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$616 COP 2.0M

33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-1.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,023 COP 3.2M

47.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-40.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,678 COP 5.3M

30.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$652 COP 2.1M

451.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

10.94

-41.41%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 25.1% $206

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 32.5% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 29% $88

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 42.6% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 26.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 42.7% $43

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 75.8% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 451% 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: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

Same time as Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Ames, IA Medellin 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 33% 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 451% 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: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $1,055 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 115% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,500 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 $1,614 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 33% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.