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: $2,154 in Ames, IA versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,214 in Ames, IA versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,273 in Ames, IA versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 26% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 57% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 $18.20

$8.03 COP 25.3K

126.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 $52.1

$48.26 COP 152.0K

8.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.77 COP 30.8K

23.54%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$2.91 COP 9,167

74.23%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.94 COP 6,122

36.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.52 COP 4,792

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.09 COP 9,740

32.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$5.74 COP 18.1K

22.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.36 COP 4,296

-33.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.39 COP 7,519

53.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.70 COP 5,356

97.65%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.87 COP 9,038

16.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.94 COP 31.3K

2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 $14.39

$10.78 COP 34.0K

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$14.73 COP 46.4K

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.09 COP 12.9K

44.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.57 COP 4,950

16.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$2.13 COP 6,695

202.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.21 COP 6,972

127.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.05 COP 6,447

111.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.50 COP 4,737

153.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.19 COP 3,747

96.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.16 COP 3,647

119.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 $13.14

$3.90 COP 12.3K

236.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 $15.85

$14.44 COP 45.5K

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.58 COP 4,987

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.83 COP 8,905

78.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.17 COP 3,679

-13.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.29 $35.29

$77.7 COP 244.8K

-54.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.28 COP 4,045

292.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.09 COP 6,589

-20.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 $24.03

$8.62 COP 27.1K

178.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.30 COP 4,088

-30.00%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

-8.54%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

-29.44%

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

$160 $160

$176 COP 554.5K

-9.00%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$13.37 COP 42.1K

310.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$29.89 COP 94.1K

129.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 $68.9

$44.76 COP 141.0K

53.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.76 $19.76

$17.06 COP 53.7K

15.83%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 $15.77

$6.20 COP 19.5K

154.35%

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

$1,376 $1,376

$793 COP 2.5M

73.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

298.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-31.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 $44.80

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 $89.9

$136 COP 429.3K

-34.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$103 COP 324.7K

3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 $823

$680 COP 2.1M

21.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 $1,513

$1,169 COP 3.7M

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 $2,403

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-41.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 $2,224

$1,701 COP 5.4M

30.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,636 $3,636

$665 COP 2.1M

446.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

10.94

-44.97%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,032 in Ames, IA and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 447% 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $303 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 26% 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 447% 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: $1,032 in Ames, IA versus $1,060 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 120% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,376 in Ames, IA versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,154 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 $1,716 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 26% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.