Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, IL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Decatur, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

Decatur, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$1,725
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,725 per month in Decatur, IL vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Decatur, IL $1,725
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,654 per month in Decatur, IL vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Decatur, IL $2,654
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,582 per month in Decatur, IL vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Decatur, IL $3,582
  • Medellin $3,190

Decatur, IL costs about 7% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Decatur, IL and Medellin sit above the global median – Decatur, IL by 28%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.96 $19.96
$7.93 COP 25.2K
151.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 $83.4
$46.13 COP 146.3K
80.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.74 $8.74
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-8.00%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$3.11 COP 9,866
73.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.83 COP 5,800
22.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.38 COP 4,360
20.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 $5.02
$3.05 COP 9,672
64.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$5.50 COP 17.4K
11.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.45 COP 4,600
-7.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.36 COP 7,496
29.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.68 COP 5,328
20.83%
Eggs
$4.74 $4.74
$2.86 COP 9,077
65.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.87 $13.87
$10.19 COP 32.3K
36.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.86 $14.86
$9.53 COP 30.2K
55.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-6.84%
Apples (1kg)
$4.31 $4.31
$4.07 COP 12.9K
5.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.50 COP 4,742
34.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.03 $4.03
$2.17 COP 6,891
85.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 $3.27
$2.31 COP 7,310
41.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.93 COP 6,113
-52.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.64 COP 5,196
-33.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.13 COP 3,571
30.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.25 COP 3,954
145.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.87 $15.87
$3.99 COP 12.6K
297.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.81 $14.81
$13.35 COP 42.3K
10.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.70 COP 5,384
29.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.37 COP 7,525
-16.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
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)
$3.17 $3.17
$1.32 COP 4,179
140.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$2.14 COP 6,774
-33.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.28 $25.28
$8.47 COP 26.8K
198.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.30 COP 4,114
-10.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K $37.0K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
32.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-27.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.6 $85.6
$172 COP 545.6K
-50.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.2 $67.2
$13.37 COP 42.4K
402.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 $60.2
$28.73 COP 91.1K
109.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 $74.7
$45.24 COP 143.5K
65.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.82 $11.82
$6.28 COP 19.9K
88.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,525 $1,525
$770 COP 2.4M
97.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.0K $32.0K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
255.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.1 $68.1
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-21.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 $51.5
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-9.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$137 COP 432.9K
-25.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 $144
$97.9 COP 310.4K
47.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$867 $867
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-17.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 $551
$616 COP 2.0M
-10.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$993 $993
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-47.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$805 $805
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-21.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$940 $940
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-76.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$941 $941
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-43.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Decatur, IL
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,599 $4,599
$652 COP 2.1M
605.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.77
10.94
-38.12%

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

Last update for Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Decatur, IL
$551
Medellin
$616 11.7% $65
Groceries & Markets
Decatur, IL
$385
Medellin
$295 23.4% $90
Eating Out
Decatur, IL
$304
Medellin
$168 44.6% $135
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Decatur, IL
$213
Medellin
$214 0.6% $1.2
Clothing & Footwear
Decatur, IL
$164
Medellin
$170 3.6% $5.9
Sport & Entertainment
Decatur, IL
$98
Medellin
$58 41.2% $41
Getting Around
Decatur, IL
$10 *
Medellin
$93 808% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Decatur, IL 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 605% higher in Decatur, IL, 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 $83.0 in Decatur, IL versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Decatur, IL
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
18:47 6:47 PM
Same time as Decatur, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
77,047
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Decatur, IL Medellin 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Decatur, IL
  • 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
Decatur, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Decatur, IL?
Yes – Decatur, IL is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,588 per month in Decatur, IL and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Decatur, IL or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Decatur, IL and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Decatur, IL and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Decatur, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Decatur, IL or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Decatur, IL at $1,725. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Decatur, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Decatur, IL or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Decatur, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Decatur, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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