Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elk Grove, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Elk Grove, CA
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Elk Grove, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Elk Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,216

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Elk Grove, CA $4,216
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,106 in Elk Grove, CA versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Elk Grove, CA $6,106
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,995 in Elk Grove, CA versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Elk Grove, CA $7,995
Medellin $3,199

Living in Elk Grove, CA is roughly 160% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elk Grove, CA 211% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.18 $22.18

$8.30 COP 26.3K

167.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$46.91 COP 148.7K

38.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$9.24 COP 29.3K

30.19%

Cappuccino

$7.04 $7.04

$3.05 COP 9,676

130.82%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$1.80 COP 5,707

18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.38 COP 4,382

87.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 $10.64

$3.24 COP 10.3K

228.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 $10.60

$5.56 COP 17.6K

90.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.50 COP 4,760

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.37 COP 7,508

69.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$1.70 COP 5,377

408.82%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$2.96 COP 9,379

84.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 $17.48

$10.22 COP 32.4K

71.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.55 $30.55

$9.74 COP 30.9K

213.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 $27.72

$13.90 COP 44.1K

99.42%

Apples (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.13 COP 13.1K

133.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.53 COP 4,839

113.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$2.22 COP 7,052

350.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.03 $8.03

$2.27 COP 7,194

253.74%

Potato (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$1.99 COP 6,311

279.40%

Onion (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$1.67 COP 5,285

268.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.18 COP 3,742

157.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.24 COP 3,919

57.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.09 $13.09

$3.87 COP 12.3K

238.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.61 $20.61

$13.78 COP 43.7K

49.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$2.40 COP 7,615

274.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$8.09 $8.09

$1.24 COP 3,944

552.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 $148

$78.2 COP 248.0K

89.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 $6.88

$1.28 COP 4,044

437.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.15 COP 6,803

70.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.35 COP 4,288

2.22%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-10.14%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-35.27%

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

$255 $255

$167 COP 528.4K

52.88%

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

$108 $108

$13.62 COP 43.2K

692.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$136 $136

$29.12 COP 92.3K

366.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$45.09 COP 143.0K

126.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 $24.76

$17.18 COP 54.5K

44.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.69 $17.69

$6.97 COP 22.1K

153.80%

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

$1,436 $1,436

$790 COP 2.5M

81.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K $17.9K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

97.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 $91.1

$87.8 COP 278.4K

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 $89.7

$58.2 COP 184.4K

54.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 $171

$139 COP 440.7K

23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$98.9 COP 313.5K

31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$1,028 COP 3.3M

120.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$620 COP 2.0M

237.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 $3,368

$1,881 COP 6.0M

79.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,473 $3,473

$1,008 COP 3.2M

244.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,900 $3,900

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-2.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 $3,165

$1,702 COP 5.4M

85.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,827 $7,827

$663 COP 2.1M

1079.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

10.94

-40.31%

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

Last update for Elk Grove, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elk Grove, CA

$2.1K 49.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 70.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Elk Grove, CA

$679 * 16.1%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 56.1% $381

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elk Grove, CA

$498 11.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 58% $289

Eating Out

Elk Grove, CA

$391 9.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 56.4% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Elk Grove, CA

$217 5.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 20.3% $44

Getting Around

Elk Grove, CA

$205 4.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 53.7% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Elk Grove, CA

$138 3.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 57.1% $79

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 $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elk Grove, CA pays 1080% 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: $65.0 in Elk Grove, CA vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $679 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elk Grove, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

2 h ahead of Elk Grove, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,913

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 →

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Between locations

Elk Grove, CA Medellin 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Elk Grove, CA
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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

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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1080% higher in Elk Grove, 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: $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 89% less than in Elk Grove, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,436 in Elk Grove, CA versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Elk Grove, 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 Elk Grove, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Elk Grove, 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 160% less than in Elk Grove, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.