Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Downey, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

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

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,035 in Downey, CA versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Downey, CA $3,035
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,713 in Downey, CA versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Downey, CA $4,713
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,391 in Downey, CA versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Downey, CA $6,391
Medellin $3,190

Living in Downey, CA is roughly 88% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Downey, CA 125% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 $24.83

$7.93 COP 25.2K

213.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$46.13 COP 146.3K

73.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$9.50 COP 30.1K

60.11%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.11 COP 9,866

81.99%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.83 COP 5,800

72.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.38 COP 4,360

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.05 COP 9,672

141.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 $9.36

$5.50 COP 17.4K

70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 COP 4,600

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.36 COP 7,496

73.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.68 COP 5,328

179.76%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$2.86 COP 9,077

63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.19 COP 32.3K

26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$9.53 COP 30.2K

40.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.04 COP 44.5K

8.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.07 COP 12.9K

15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.50 COP 4,742

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.17 COP 6,891

90.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$2.31 COP 7,310

137.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.93 COP 6,113

92.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.64 COP 5,196

87.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.13 COP 3,571

79.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.25 COP 3,954

78.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$3.99 COP 12.6K

192.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$13.35 COP 42.3K

12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.70 COP 5,384

18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.37 COP 7,525

77.22%

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)

$6.34 $6.34

$1.32 COP 4,179

380.30%

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)

$37.7K $37.7K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

34.71%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.37%

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

$170 $170

$172 COP 545.6K

-1.05%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$13.37 COP 42.4K

398.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$28.73 COP 91.1K

151.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 $34.92

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-22.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$6.28 COP 19.9K

140.61%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$770 COP 2.4M

54.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-32.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$137 COP 432.9K

-32.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$97.9 COP 310.4K

47.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$1,055 COP 3.3M

84.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$616 COP 2.0M

174.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$1,892 COP 6.0M

96.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 $3,383

$1,023 COP 3.2M

230.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,755 $5,755

$4,059 COP 12.9M

41.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,766 $5,766

$1,678 COP 5.3M

243.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$652 COP 2.1M

540.48%

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 Downey, 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

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 63.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Downey, CA

$419 13.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 29.7% $124

Eating Out

Downey, CA

$390 12.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 56.8% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Downey, CA

$309 10.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 30.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Downey, CA

$153 5.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 11% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Downey, CA

$65 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 11.3% $7.3

Getting Around

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1372% $87

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 $1,946 in Downey, CA and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 540% 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 Downey, CA vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

11:40 11:40 AM

2 h ahead of Downey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,355

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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Downey, CA Medellin 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Downey, 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

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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 540% higher in Downey, CA, 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: $1,946 in Downey, CA versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Downey, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,035 per month in Downey, CA versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,035 in Downey, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Downey, CA. 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 Downey, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Downey, CA 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 88% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.