Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $5,540 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $7,121 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Medellin $3,190

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 145% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Costa Mesa, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Costa Mesa, CA by 193%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$7.93 COP 25.2K

150.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$46.13 COP 146.3K

70.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$9.50 COP 30.1K

56.84%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.11 COP 9,866

79.74%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.83 COP 5,800

85.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.38 COP 4,360

81.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$3.05 COP 9,672

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$5.50 COP 17.4K

76.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 COP 4,600

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.36 COP 7,496

69.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.68 COP 5,328

179.17%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$2.86 COP 9,077

77.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$10.19 COP 32.3K

25.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$9.53 COP 30.2K

111.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$14.04 COP 44.5K

53.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.07 COP 12.9K

23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.50 COP 4,742

65.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.17 COP 6,891

108.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.31 COP 7,310

151.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.93 COP 6,113

134.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.64 COP 5,196

41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.13 COP 3,571

91.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.25 COP 3,954

52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$3.99 COP 12.6K

190.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$13.35 COP 42.3K

12.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.70 COP 5,384

18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.37 COP 7,525

76.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.21 COP 3,827

61.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-8.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.32 COP 4,179

362.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.30 COP 4,114

13.08%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

32.93%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.79%

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

$218 $218

$172 COP 545.6K

26.45%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$13.37 COP 42.4K

412.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$28.73 COP 91.1K

148.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-28.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$6.28 COP 19.9K

165.45%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$770 COP 2.4M

55.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-33.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$137 COP 432.9K

-31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$97.9 COP 310.4K

31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,055 COP 3.3M

158.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$616 COP 2.0M

300.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$1,892 COP 6.0M

121.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$1,023 COP 3.2M

274.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$4,059 COP 12.9M

128.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$1,678 COP 5.3M

321.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$652 COP 2.1M

863.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.94

-41.59%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 75% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 38.6% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 40.1% $143

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 51.9% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 16% $23

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 11.4% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 21% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $1,055 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 run about 864% higher in Costa Mesa, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

17:49 5:49 PM

2 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Costa Mesa, CA Medellin 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, CA
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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 145% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,938 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $2,421 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA and $46.00 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 $1,614, than in Costa Mesa, CA at $3,959. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Costa Mesa, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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