Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, GA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,335 in Columbus, GA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, GA
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Columbus, GA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Columbus, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,335

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,335 in Columbus, GA versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Columbus, GA $2,335
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,064 in Columbus, GA versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Columbus, GA $3,064
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,794 in Columbus, GA versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Columbus, GA $3,794
Medellin $3,190

Living in Columbus, GA is roughly 45% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbus, GA 73% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.06 $22.06

$7.93 COP 25.2K

178.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$46.13 COP 146.3K

74.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$9.50 COP 30.1K

3.68%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$3.11 COP 9,866

58.20%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.83 COP 5,800

45.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.38 COP 4,360

42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.05 COP 9,672

59.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$5.50 COP 17.4K

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.45 COP 4,600

-37.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.36 COP 7,496

29.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.68 COP 5,328

16.67%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$2.86 COP 9,077

4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$9.53 COP 30.2K

8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.50 COP 4,742

-11.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.17 COP 6,891

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.31 COP 7,310

53.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.93 COP 6,113

-11.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.64 COP 5,196

10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.13 COP 3,571

53.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.25 COP 3,954

38.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.99 COP 12.6K

71.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$13.35 COP 42.3K

10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.37 COP 7,525

-48.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.21 COP 3,827

6.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 $52.5

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-31.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.32 COP 4,179

47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.14 COP 6,774

-40.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.76 $20.76

$8.47 COP 26.8K

145.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.30 COP 4,114

-20.77%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

33.79%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.16%

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

$170 $170

$172 COP 545.6K

-0.93%

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

$46.40 $46.40

$13.37 COP 42.4K

247.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$28.73 COP 91.1K

123.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.42 $25.42

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-43.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 $7.55

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-55.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 $12.63

$6.28 COP 19.9K

101.11%

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

$996 $996

$770 COP 2.4M

29.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K $13.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

53.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.27 $45.27

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-47.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.22 $30.22

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-47.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$137 COP 432.9K

-33.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$97.9 COP 310.4K

7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 $1,399

$1,055 COP 3.3M

32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 $1,205

$616 COP 2.0M

95.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 $1,240

$1,023 COP 3.2M

21.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,059 $6,059

$4,059 COP 12.9M

49.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,122 $6,122

$1,678 COP 5.3M

264.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,653 $3,653

$652 COP 2.1M

459.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

10.94

-41.32%

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

Last update for Columbus, GA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, GA

$1.2K 51.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 48.9% $589

Eating Out

Columbus, GA

$322 13.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 47.7% $153

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, GA

$288 12.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 2.5% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, GA

$281 12%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 23.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, GA

$123 5.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 38.8% $48

Getting Around

Columbus, GA

$66 2.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 41.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, GA

$51 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 14.1% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,399 in Columbus, GA and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbus, GA pays 460% 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: $80.0 in Columbus, GA vs $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $295, with Columbus, GA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, GA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

1 h behind Columbus, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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

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Between locations

Columbus, GA Medellin 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, GA
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

Columbus, GA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Columbus, GA. 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 460% higher in Columbus, GA, 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: $1,399 in Columbus, GA versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,335 per month in Columbus, GA versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 46% less than in Columbus, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,335 in Columbus, GA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Columbus, GA. 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 $1,614 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 45% less than in Columbus, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.