Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Dorado, AR and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,746 in El Dorado, AR, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in El Dorado, AR
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El Dorado, AR Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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El Dorado, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,746

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,746 in El Dorado, AR versus $1,625 in Medellin.

El Dorado, AR $1,746
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,547 in El Dorado, AR versus $2,412 in Medellin.

El Dorado, AR $2,547
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,348 in El Dorado, AR versus $3,199 in Medellin.

El Dorado, AR $3,348
Medellin $3,199

Living in El Dorado, AR is roughly 7% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: El Dorado, AR 29% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 $17.29

$8.30 COP 26.3K

108.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$46.91 COP 148.7K

25.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 $10.86

$9.24 COP 29.3K

17.53%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.05 COP 9,676

65.25%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.80 COP 5,707

68.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.38 COP 4,382

74.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.24 COP 10.3K

52.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$5.56 COP 17.6K

13.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.50 COP 4,760

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.37 COP 7,508

13.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.70 COP 5,377

64.71%

Eggs

$3.36 $3.36

$2.96 COP 9,379

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 $11.99

$9.74 COP 30.9K

23.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.50 $22.50

$13.90 COP 44.1K

61.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.13 COP 13.1K

4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.53 COP 4,839

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.22 COP 7,052

101.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.27 COP 7,194

65.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.99 COP 6,311

-21.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.67 COP 5,285

50.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.18 COP 3,742

62.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.24 COP 3,919

48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$3.87 COP 12.3K

141.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 $13.55

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.66 COP 5,256

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.40 COP 7,615

-29.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.24 COP 3,944

45.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.28 COP 4,044

92.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.15 COP 6,803

-29.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.11 $24.11

$8.37 COP 26.5K

188.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.35 COP 4,288

-31.85%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-23.12%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-24.13%

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

$134 $134

$167 COP 528.4K

-19.87%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$13.62 COP 43.2K

339.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.23 $39.23

$29.12 COP 92.3K

34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 $42.36

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-6.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 $9.09

$6.97 COP 22.1K

30.42%

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

$1,036 $1,036

$790 COP 2.5M

31.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

111.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-42.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 $34.32

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-40.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$139 COP 440.7K

-43.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.0 $61.0

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 $1,537

$1,028 COP 3.3M

49.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 $678

$620 COP 2.0M

9.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 $1,892

$1,881 COP 6.0M

0.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 $941

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-6.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,185 $1,185

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-70.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,146 $1,146

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-32.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 $4,169

$663 COP 2.1M

528.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.94

-38.30%

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

Last update for El Dorado, AR: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Dorado, AR

$678 38.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 8.6% $58

Groceries & Markets

El Dorado, AR

$366 21%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 18.7% $68

Eating Out

El Dorado, AR

$291 16.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 41.2% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Dorado, AR

$233 13.3%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 10% $23

Clothing & Footwear

El Dorado, AR

$101 5.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 70.4% $71

Sport & Entertainment

El Dorado, AR

$61 3.5%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 2.5% $1.5

Getting Around

El Dorado, AR

$17 * 1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 451% $78

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 $1,537 in El Dorado, AR and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Dorado, AR pays 528% 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: $59.0 in El Dorado, AR vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Dorado, AR

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

Same time as El Dorado, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,756

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

El Dorado, AR Medellin 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

El Dorado, AR
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

El Dorado, AR vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 528% higher in El Dorado, AR, 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: $1,537 in El Dorado, AR versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in El Dorado, AR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,746 per month in El Dorado, AR versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,746 in El Dorado, AR, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in El Dorado, AR. 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 El Dorado, AR, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in El Dorado, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.