Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulder, CO and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,303 in Boulder, CO, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

159

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
Learn more

Boulder, CO Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,303

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,303 per month in Boulder, CO vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Boulder, CO $3,303
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $4,905 per month in Boulder, CO vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Boulder, CO $4,905
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $6,508 per month in Boulder, CO vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Boulder, CO $6,508
Medellin $3,249

Boulder, CO costs about 95% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Boulder, CO and Medellin sit above the global median – Boulder, CO by 144%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$8.34 COP 27.0K

141.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$46.53 COP 150.9K

69.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$9.47 COP 30.7K

58.18%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$3.13 COP 10.2K

83.39%

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

$3.53 $3.53

$1.77 COP 5,728

99.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.42 COP 4,620

106.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.15 COP 10.2K

118.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$5.70 COP 18.5K

38.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.53 COP 4,971

-19.61%

White Bread (500g)

$5.50 $5.50

$2.29 COP 7,431

140.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$1.94 COP 6,308

245.36%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$3.07 COP 9,945

78.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$9.99 COP 32.4K

17.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$10.45 COP 33.9K

7.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$13.96 COP 45.3K

24.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.05 COP 13.1K

43.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.53 COP 4,957

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.10 COP 6,825

189.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.29 COP 7,439

164.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.11 COP 6,841

93.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.71 COP 5,543

116.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.17 COP 3,795

197.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.58 COP 5,125

74.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.26 $10.26

$3.91 COP 12.7K

162.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 $17.09

$14.04 COP 45.6K

21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.76 COP 5,714

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.71 COP 8,796

82.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.18 COP 3,826

135.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 $86.9

$76.3 COP 247.4K

13.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.81 COP 5,860

36.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.13 COP 6,906

-33.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$8.13 COP 26.4K

195.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.28 COP 4,136

-16.41%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-17.23%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-23.83%

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

$229 $229

$178 COP 576.4K

28.95%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$13.89 COP 45.0K

414.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$30.74 COP 99.7K

142.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 $75.5

$41.94 COP 136.0K

80.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 $19.92

$16.80 COP 54.5K

18.57%

Cinema Ticket

$18.82 $18.82

$7.47 COP 24.2K

151.94%

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

$1,927 $1,927

$790 COP 2.6M

143.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

163.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-21.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.54 $49.54

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 $93.1

$138 COP 448.7K

-32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$98.8 COP 320.5K

42.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$1,341 COP 4.3M

62.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 $1,726

$667 COP 2.2M

158.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$1,976 COP 6.4M

94.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 $3,071

$1,033 COP 3.3M

197.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 $6,157

$4,098 COP 13.3M

50.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,617 $4,617

$1,940 COP 6.3M

137.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,513 $5,513

$646 COP 2.1M

753.26%

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 Boulder, CO: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boulder, CO

$1.7K 52.3%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 61.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Boulder, CO

$472 14.3%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 34.9% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boulder, CO

$375 11.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 40.7% $153

Eating Out

Boulder, CO

$351 10.6%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 50.8% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Boulder, CO

$158 4.8%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 8.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Boulder, CO

$113 3.4%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 49.7% $56

Getting Around

Boulder, CO

$108 3.3%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 13.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,181 in Boulder, CO 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 Boulder, CO are about 8.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Boulder, CO versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

23:13 11:13 PM

2 h ahead of Boulder, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,803

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 = 0.894 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boulder, CO Medellin 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Boulder, CO
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

Boulder, CO vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boulder, CO is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,955 per month in Boulder, CO 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $2,181 in Boulder, CO.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Boulder, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Boulder, CO and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Boulder, CO at $3,303. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boulder, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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