Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,735 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,098 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,461 in Carbondale, IL versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Carbondale, IL is roughly 1% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carbondale, IL 26% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.18 $18.18

$8.03 COP 25.1K

126.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.36 $38.36

$48.26 COP 150.8K

-20.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.77 COP 30.5K

-7.98%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$2.91 COP 9,095

74.57%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$1.94 COP 6,074

18.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.52 COP 4,754

34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.09 COP 9,663

47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.74 COP 17.9K

36.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.36 COP 4,262

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.39 COP 7,460

29.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$1.70 COP 5,314

141.76%

Eggs

$3.45 $3.45

$2.87 COP 8,967

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$9.94 COP 31.1K

13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$10.78 COP 33.7K

5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 $18.17

$14.73 COP 46.0K

23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.09 COP 12.8K

12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.57 COP 4,911

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.13 COP 6,642

121.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.21 COP 6,917

119.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.05 COP 6,396

-20.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.50 COP 4,700

59.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.19 COP 3,718

117.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.16 COP 3,619

105.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.56 $8.56

$3.90 COP 12.2K

119.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 $13.38

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.58 COP 4,948

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.83 COP 8,836

-43.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.28 COP 4,014

60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.09 COP 6,537

-35.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$8.62 COP 26.9K

129.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.30 COP 4,056

-23.08%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

34.87%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-24.51%

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

$169 $169

$176 COP 550.1K

-3.87%

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

$85.5 $85.5

$13.37 COP 41.8K

539.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 $73.9

$29.89 COP 93.4K

147.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 $12.19

$6.20 COP 19.4K

96.61%

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

$1,710 $1,710

$793 COP 2.5M

115.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K $26.9K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

198.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.80 $43.80

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-48.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 $32.60

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-44.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 $78.1

$136 COP 425.9K

-42.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$103 COP 322.2K

38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 $663

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 $556

$680 COP 2.1M

-18.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$834 $834

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-79.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$839 $839

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-50.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,757 $3,757

$665 COP 2.1M

464.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.06

10.94

-44.61%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Carbondale, IL and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 465% 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: $38.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $303, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Carbondale, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Carbondale, IL. 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 465% higher in Carbondale, IL, 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: $663 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Carbondale, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,735 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,735 in Carbondale, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Carbondale, IL. 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 1% less than in Carbondale, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.