Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, TN and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Athens, TN
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Athens, TN Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Athens, TN vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Athens, TN $2,116
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,286 per month in Athens, TN vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Athens, TN $3,286
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Athens, TN vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Athens, TN $4,457
Medellin $3,249

Athens, TN costs about 25% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Athens, TN and Medellin sit above the global median – Athens, TN by 56%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.07 $30.07

$8.34 COP 27.0K

260.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$46.53 COP 150.9K

132.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$9.47 COP 30.7K

26.19%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.13 COP 10.2K

82.11%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.77 COP 5,727

66.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.42 COP 4,619

59.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.15 COP 10.2K

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$5.70 COP 18.5K

38.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.53 COP 4,969

-38.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.29 COP 7,429

12.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.94 COP 6,306

102.58%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$3.07 COP 9,942

36.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$9.99 COP 32.4K

38.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-36.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.75 $19.75

$13.96 COP 45.3K

41.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$4.05 COP 13.1K

43.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.53 COP 4,956

-2.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.10 COP 6,823

167.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.29 COP 7,437

125.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.11 COP 6,839

67.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.71 COP 5,542

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.17 COP 3,794

83.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.58 COP 5,123

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.91 COP 12.7K

74.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$14.04 COP 45.5K

8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.76 COP 5,712

121.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.71 COP 8,793

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.18 COP 3,825

85.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 $53.5

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-29.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.81 COP 5,859

88.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.13 COP 6,904

-28.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$8.13 COP 26.4K

200.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.28 COP 4,135

-26.56%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

4.83%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-23.07%

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

$221 $221

$178 COP 576.3K

24.09%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$13.89 COP 45.0K

435.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 $55.7

$30.74 COP 99.7K

81.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 $37.88

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-9.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 $8.21

$7.47 COP 24.2K

9.91%

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

$1,784 $1,784

$790 COP 2.6M

125.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

182.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-39.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 $45.25

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 $95.9

$138 COP 448.6K

-30.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$98.8 COP 320.4K

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$667 COP 2.2M

4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-25.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 $1,184

$1,033 COP 3.3M

14.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,813 $2,813

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-31.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 $2,313

$1,940 COP 6.3M

19.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,189 $8,189

$646 COP 2.1M

1167.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

10.94

-39.03%

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

Last update for Athens, TN: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, TN

$695 32.9%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 4% $28

Eating Out

Athens, TN

$414 19.6%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 58.3% $241

Groceries & Markets

Athens, TN

$392 18.6%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 21.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, TN

$351 16.6%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 36.6% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, TN

$136 6.4%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 27% $37

Getting Around

Athens, TN

$73 3.5%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 27.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, TN

$54 2.6%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 4.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $861 in Athens, TN versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens, TN are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Athens, TN versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

Same time as Athens, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Athens, TN Medellin 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens, TN
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

Athens, TN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, TN costs about 25% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Athens, TN and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $861 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Athens, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,784 per month in Athens, TN and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,116 in Athens, TN and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,116 in Athens, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.