Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galesburg, IL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,486 in Galesburg, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Galesburg, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,486
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,486 per month in Galesburg, IL vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Galesburg, IL $2,486
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,648 per month in Galesburg, IL vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Galesburg, IL $3,648
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,809 per month in Galesburg, IL vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Galesburg, IL $4,809
  • Medellin $3,199

Galesburg, IL costs about 53% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Galesburg, IL and Medellin sit above the global median – Galesburg, IL by 83%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.56 $20.56
$8.30 COP 26.3K
147.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.1 $90.1
$46.91 COP 148.7K
91.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.07 $13.07
$9.24 COP 29.3K
41.45%
Cappuccino
$5.80 $5.80
$3.05 COP 9,676
90.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.80 COP 5,707
46.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.38 COP 4,382
67.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.85 $6.85
$3.24 COP 10.3K
111.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.98 $8.98
$5.56 COP 17.6K
61.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.50 COP 4,760
-43.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.37 COP 7,508
-24.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.07 $2.07
$1.70 COP 5,377
21.76%
Eggs
$2.88 $2.88
$2.96 COP 9,379
-2.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.20 $7.20
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-29.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.28 $8.28
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-14.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.51 $11.51
$13.90 COP 44.1K
-17.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-35.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.53 COP 4,839
-15.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.22 COP 7,052
33.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$2.27 COP 7,194
19.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.99 COP 6,311
-2.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.67 COP 5,285
6.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.18 COP 3,742
59.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 $1.25
$1.24 COP 3,919
0.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.25 $14.25
$3.87 COP 12.3K
268.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.76 $14.76
$13.78 COP 43.7K
7.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.66 COP 5,256
54.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$2.40 COP 7,615
46.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.24 COP 3,944
60.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 $3.32
$1.28 COP 4,044
159.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 $1.37
$2.15 COP 6,803
-36.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.76 $24.76
$8.37 COP 26.5K
195.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.35 COP 4,288
-11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K $35.2K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
1.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-25.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$167 COP 528.4K
15.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.4 $70.4
$13.62 COP 43.2K
416.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.9 $61.9
$29.12 COP 92.3K
112.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.33 $37.33
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-17.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.77 $17.77
$6.97 COP 22.1K
154.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,692 $1,692
$790 COP 2.5M
114.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.1K $31.1K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
243.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 $67.8
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-22.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 $52.0
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-10.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.1 $99.1
$139 COP 440.7K
-28.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$98.9 COP 313.5K
47.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,611 $1,611
$1,028 COP 3.3M
56.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 $1,290
$620 COP 2.0M
108.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,544 $2,544
$1,881 COP 6.0M
35.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,109 $2,109
$1,008 COP 3.2M
109.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,062 $1,062
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-73.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,068 $1,068
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-37.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Galesburg, IL
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$663 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.81
10.94
-37.75%

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

Last update for Galesburg, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Galesburg, IL
$1.3K
Medellin
$619 52% $671
Eating Out
Galesburg, IL
$345
Medellin
$171 50.5% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galesburg, IL
$324
Medellin
$209 35.4% $115
Groceries & Markets
Galesburg, IL
$272
Medellin
$298 9.7% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Galesburg, IL
$164
Medellin
$173 5.1% $8.4
Sport & Entertainment
Galesburg, IL
$73
Medellin
$59 19% $14
Getting Around
Galesburg, IL
$18 *
Medellin
$95 425% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Galesburg, IL versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Galesburg, IL versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Galesburg, IL vs $298 in Medellin – so Galesburg, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Galesburg, IL
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
20:00 8:00 PM
20:00 8:00 PM
Same time as Galesburg, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,052
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Galesburg, IL Medellin 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Galesburg, IL
  • 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
Galesburg, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Galesburg, IL?
Yes – Galesburg, IL is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,729 per month in Galesburg, IL and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Galesburg, IL and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,486 in Galesburg, IL and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 53%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,692 per month in Galesburg, IL and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Galesburg, IL or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Galesburg, IL at $2,486. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galesburg, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Galesburg, IL or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Galesburg, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Galesburg, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?