Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davis, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,316 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,316

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,316 per month in Davis, CA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,316
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,712 per month in Davis, CA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Davis, CA $4,712
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $6,107 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,107
Medellin $3,186

Davis, CA costs about 102% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Davis, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 144%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 $22.69

$8.09 COP 26.1K

180.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$47.05 COP 151.9K

111.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$9.50 COP 30.7K

35.47%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.01 COP 9,735

66.78%

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

$3.57 $3.57

$1.80 COP 5,809

98.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.41 COP 4,561

67.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.18 COP 10.3K

153.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$5.75 COP 18.6K

41.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.51 COP 4,876

-11.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.38 COP 7,678

60.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.77 COP 5,720

137.29%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$2.89 COP 9,333

76.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$10.19 COP 32.9K

8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$9.87 COP 31.9K

58.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 $17.26

$13.99 COP 45.2K

23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.97 COP 12.8K

29.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.55 COP 5,012

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.18 COP 7,048

99.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.18 COP 7,051

119.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.96 COP 6,337

41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.59 COP 5,132

93.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.15 COP 3,699

98.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.24 COP 4,014

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$3.96 COP 12.8K

169.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 $16.12

$13.68 COP 44.2K

17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.66 COP 5,359

32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.26 COP 7,291

51.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.17 COP 3,771

26.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 $37.27

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-51.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.27 COP 4,094

167.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.05 COP 6,612

-25.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 $29.75

$8.55 COP 27.6K

247.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.35 COP 4,349

2.96%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-18.83%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-27.74%

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

$289 $289

$170 COP 547.8K

70.50%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$13.55 COP 43.8K

332.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$28.07 COP 90.6K

176.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.16 $43.16

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-1.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$6.91 COP 22.3K

122.87%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$797 COP 2.6M

74.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

171.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-35.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 $41.13

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-29.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 $94.9

$135 COP 435.8K

-29.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$97.9 COP 316.0K

17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 $1,743

$1,208 COP 3.9M

44.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$642 COP 2.1M

186.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,453 $3,453

$2,028 COP 6.5M

70.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$1,012 COP 3.3M

181.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,834 $2,834

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-32.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,209 $4,209

$1,910 COP 6.2M

120.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,088 $5,088

$657 COP 2.1M

674.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

10.94

-44.24%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davis, CA

$1.8K 55.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 65.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$429 12.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 30.8% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$425 12.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 50.3% $214

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 53% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$137 4.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 23% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$74 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 22.2% $16

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$54 1.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 72.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,743 in Davis, CA versus $1,208 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 in Davis, CA are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Davis, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Davis, CA Medellin 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Yes – Davis, CA is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,975 per month in Davis, CA and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,743 in Davis, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,316 in Davis, CA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Davis, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Davis, CA at $3,316. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Davis, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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