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: $2,447 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,523 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Carbondale, IL is roughly 140% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carbondale, IL is 83% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 $17.03

$5.93 COP 19.0K

187.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.71 $31.71

$33.12 COP 106.0K

-4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 $8.08

$7.12 COP 22.8K

13.48%

Cappuccino

$3.05 $3.05

$1.71 COP 5,457

78.36%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$1.05 COP 3,356

85.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.72 COP 2,311

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.72 COP 5,502

161.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.17 COP 10.2K

72.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.06 COP 3,408

-27.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.31 COP 4,192

119.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.33 COP 4,256

248.87%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.28 COP 7,298

85.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$4.42 COP 14.1K

156.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 $11.05

$5.92 COP 18.9K

86.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$8.64 COP 27.7K

76.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$2.34 COP 7,504

164.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.10 COP 3,527

43.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.47 COP 4,698

268.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.38 COP 4,415

246.38%

Potato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.17 COP 3,754

325.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.17 COP 3,744

197.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.90 COP 2,890

156.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.84 COP 2,693

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 $7.86

$2.33 COP 7,449

237.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.67 $13.67

$11.92 COP 38.1K

14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.15 COP 3,673

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.42 COP 7,749

-21.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.84 COP 2,687

144.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.41 COP 4,517

39.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.91 COP 6,127

-27.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.21 $20.21

$7.83 COP 25.0K

158.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.94 COP 3,020

-19.15%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

83.84%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-1.85%

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

$121 $121

$83.3 COP 266.4K

45.86%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$9.66 COP 30.9K

502.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 $29.42

$24.22 COP 77.5K

21.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.63 $42.63

$25.22 COP 80.7K

69.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 $12.92

$4.07 COP 13.0K

217.44%

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

$1,582 $1,582

$307 COP 981.2K

415.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.7K $26.7K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

347.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.57 $40.57

$60.0 COP 191.9K

-32.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.40 $32.40

$32.65 COP 104.5K

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 $73.6

$101 COP 323.5K

-27.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$108 COP 345.7K

30.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$476 COP 1.5M

233.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$379 COP 1.2M

257.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,595 $2,595

$816 COP 2.6M

217.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 $2,254

$707 COP 2.3M

218.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$861 $861

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-73.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$837 $837

$1,446 COP 4.6M

-42.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,830 $3,830

$622 COP 2.0M

516.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

13.43

-51.38%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,586 in Carbondale, IL and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 516% 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: $32.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $192, 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 140% 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 516% 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: $1,586 in Carbondale, IL versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Carbondale, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,447 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $1,018 in Medellin – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,447 in Carbondale, IL, a $1,500 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 $1,018 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 140% less than in Carbondale, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.