Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, MO and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,054 in Columbia, MO, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, MO
Learn more

Columbia, MO Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Columbia, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,054

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Columbia, MO versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Columbia, MO $2,054
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,883 in Columbia, MO versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Columbia, MO $2,883
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Columbia, MO versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Columbia, MO $3,712
Medellin $3,190

Living in Columbia, MO is roughly 27% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, MO 52% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 $15.75

$7.93 COP 25.2K

98.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 $73.4

$46.13 COP 146.3K

59.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 $11.79

$9.50 COP 30.1K

24.11%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$3.11 COP 9,866

58.20%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.83 COP 5,800

41.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.38 COP 4,360

48.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.05 COP 9,672

60.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 $5.45

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.45 COP 4,600

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.36 COP 7,496

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.68 COP 5,328

161.31%

Eggs

$3.25 $3.25

$2.86 COP 9,077

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$10.19 COP 32.3K

11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 $11.99

$9.53 COP 30.2K

25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$14.04 COP 44.5K

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.07 COP 12.9K

2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.50 COP 4,742

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.17 COP 6,891

116.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.31 COP 7,310

104.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.93 COP 6,113

48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.64 COP 5,196

60.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.13 COP 3,571

52.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.25 COP 3,954

65.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.99 COP 12.6K

99.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.43 $16.43

$13.35 COP 42.3K

23.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.70 COP 5,384

15.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.32 COP 4,179

256.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.14 COP 6,774

-52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.56 $22.56

$8.47 COP 26.8K

166.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.30 COP 4,114

-20.00%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

33.67%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-30.43%

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

$180 $180

$172 COP 545.6K

4.84%

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

$46.95 $46.95

$13.37 COP 42.4K

251.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$28.73 COP 91.1K

105.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.55 $29.55

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-34.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 $23.26

$17.04 COP 54.0K

36.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$6.28 COP 19.9K

135.99%

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

$1,180 $1,180

$770 COP 2.4M

53.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K $13.2K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

46.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.70 $47.70

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-44.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.48 $33.48

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-41.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 $95.5

$137 COP 432.9K

-30.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 $87.2

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 $1,211

$1,055 COP 3.3M

14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 $930

$616 COP 2.0M

51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 $1,799

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-4.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 $1,183

$1,023 COP 3.2M

15.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 $2,049

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-49.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,984 $1,984

$1,678 COP 5.3M

18.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,021 $4,021

$652 COP 2.1M

516.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

10.94

-40.22%

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

Last update for Columbia, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, MO

$930 45.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 33.8% $314

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, MO

$375 18.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 21.4% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, MO

$287 14%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 25.3% $72

Eating Out

Columbia, MO

$274 13.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 38.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, MO

$119 5.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 43.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, MO

$59 2.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 2.3% $1.4

Getting Around

Columbia, MO

$9.8 * 0.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 852% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Columbia, MO and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, MO 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: $73.0 in Columbia, MO vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, MO

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Columbia, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Columbia, MO Medellin 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, MO
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

Columbia, MO vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 516% higher in Columbia, MO, 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: $1,211 in Columbia, MO versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,180 in Columbia, MO versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $73.0 in Columbia, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,054 in Columbia, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Columbia, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Columbia, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Columbia, MO and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Columbia, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.