Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Chicago, IN and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,630 in East Chicago, IN, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
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East Chicago, IN Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $2,630
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,919 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $3,919
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,208 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $5,208
Medellin $3,249

East Chicago, IN costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both East Chicago, IN and Medellin sit above the global median – East Chicago, IN by 95%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.76 $22.76

$8.34 COP 27.0K

172.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 $84.4

$46.53 COP 150.9K

81.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 $10.72

$9.47 COP 30.7K

13.20%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$3.13 COP 10.2K

69.33%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.77 COP 5,727

68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.42 COP 4,619

36.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.15 COP 10.2K

86.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$5.70 COP 18.5K

28.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.53 COP 4,969

-34.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.29 COP 7,429

69.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.94 COP 6,306

103.09%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$3.07 COP 9,942

45.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$9.99 COP 32.4K

42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$10.45 COP 33.9K

11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.96 COP 45.3K

9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.05 COP 13.1K

27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.53 COP 4,956

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.10 COP 6,823

101.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.29 COP 7,437

74.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.11 COP 6,839

35.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.71 COP 5,542

76.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.17 COP 3,794

63.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.58 COP 5,123

40.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$3.91 COP 12.7K

139.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.04 COP 45.5K

7.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.76 COP 5,712

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.71 COP 8,793

24.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.18 COP 3,825

77.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 $62.2

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-18.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.81 COP 5,859

117.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.13 COP 6,904

-15.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.86 $26.86

$8.13 COP 26.4K

230.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.28 COP 4,135

-28.13%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-28.25%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-27.67%

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

$202 $202

$178 COP 576.3K

13.50%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$13.89 COP 45.0K

312.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$30.74 COP 99.7K

131.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.09 $42.09

$41.94 COP 136.0K

0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$7.47 COP 24.2K

94.78%

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

$1,523 $1,523

$790 COP 2.6M

92.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

73.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-33.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 $46.20

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-22.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$138 COP 448.6K

-26.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$98.8 COP 320.4K

30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$1,341 COP 4.3M

16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$667 COP 2.2M

88.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,620 $2,620

$1,976 COP 6.4M

32.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 $2,144

$1,033 COP 3.3M

107.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,910 $2,910

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-29.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,640 $2,640

$1,940 COP 6.3M

36.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,105 $4,105

$646 COP 2.1M

535.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

10.94

-39.76%

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

Last update for East Chicago, IN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 47.8%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 46.9% $589

Groceries & Markets

East Chicago, IN

$397 15.1%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 22.5% $89

Eating Out

East Chicago, IN

$342 13%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 49.5% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Chicago, IN

$330 12.6%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 32.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

East Chicago, IN

$150 5.7%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 14.5% $22

Getting Around

East Chicago, IN

$84 3.2%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 11.9% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

East Chicago, IN

$71 2.7%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 20.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in East Chicago, IN versus $1,341 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 East Chicago, IN are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in East Chicago, IN versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h ahead of East Chicago, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,370

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

East Chicago, IN Medellin 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

East Chicago, IN
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

East Chicago, IN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – East Chicago, IN is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in East Chicago, IN and $2,538 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 $1,341 there versus $1,556 in East Chicago, IN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in East Chicago, IN and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 19% less in East Chicago, IN. 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 $1,692, than in East Chicago, IN at $2,630. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Chicago, IN 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, East Chicago, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.