Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,010 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,652 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,294 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 294% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fairfield, CA is 198% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.99 $21.99

$5.95 COP 21.2K

269.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$33.33 COP 118.9K

144.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 $11.85

$7.23 COP 25.8K

63.90%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$1.63 COP 5,811

196.32%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$1.09 COP 3,904

161.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.73 COP 2,604

169.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$1.74 COP 6,197

324.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.23 COP 11.5K

117.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 COP 3,742

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.29 COP 4,614

204.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.32 COP 4,718

240.15%

Eggs

$5.23 $5.23

$2.27 COP 8,101

130.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$4.35 COP 15.5K

208.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$5.88 COP 21.0K

89.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.80 $17.80

$8.61 COP 30.7K

106.74%

Apples (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

$2.25 COP 8,015

249.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.07 COP 3,814

166.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.52 COP 5,438

288.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$1.42 COP 5,073

457.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.17 COP 4,173

241.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.17 COP 4,166

231.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.89 COP 3,163

146.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.90 COP 3,215

125.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$2.25 COP 8,008

441.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.04 COP 39.4K

-8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.14 COP 4,063

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.38 COP 8,483

12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.84 COP 2,979

139.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 $87.8

$41.95 COP 149.6K

109.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.41 COP 5,019

110.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.90 COP 6,779

-3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.76 $28.76

$7.75 COP 27.6K

271.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.01 COP 3,586

32.67%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

91.01%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

1.99%

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

$226 $226

$83.7 COP 298.4K

170.30%

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

$50.4 $50.4

$9.45 COP 33.7K

433.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$24.11 COP 86.0K

210.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$25.31 COP 90.3K

391.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.1 $74.1

$19.14 COP 68.3K

287.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$4.10 COP 14.6K

242.44%

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

$1,853 $1,853

$312 COP 1.1M

494.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K $20.1K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

235.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$58.0 COP 207.0K

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 $42.38

$32.56 COP 116.1K

30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 $83.7

$99.6 COP 355.3K

-15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$109 COP 387.1K

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$482 COP 1.7M

412.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 $2,450

$379 COP 1.4M

545.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 $3,265

$837 COP 3.0M

289.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,673 $3,673

$723 COP 2.6M

407.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,652 $3,652

$2,840 COP 10.1M

28.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,639 $3,639

$1,223 COP 4.4M

197.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,727 $4,727

$541 COP 1.9M

773.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

13.43

-51.45%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,470 in Fairfield, CA and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays 774% 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: $81.0 in Fairfield, CA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 294% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Fairfield, CA pays 774% more on average, 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: $2,470 in Fairfield, CA versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,010 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 294% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 109% less than in Fairfield, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $4,010 in Fairfield, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fairfield, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 294% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.