Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Greenville, SC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,542 in Greenville, SC, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Greenville, SC, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Greenville, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,542
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Greenville, SC vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Greenville, SC $2,542
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,831 per month in Greenville, SC vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Greenville, SC $3,831
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,120 per month in Greenville, SC vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Greenville, SC $5,120
  • Medellin $3,186

Greenville, SC costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Greenville, SC and Medellin sit above the global median – Greenville, SC by 87%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.15 $18.15
$8.09 COP 25.4K
124.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.5 $97.5
$47.05 COP 148.0K
107.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.85 $10.85
$9.50 COP 29.9K
14.21%
Cappuccino
$5.51 $5.51
$3.01 COP 9,485
83.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 $3.03
$1.80 COP 5,660
68.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.41 COP 4,443
41.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.98 $5.98
$3.18 COP 9,990
88.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.66 $7.66
$5.75 COP 18.1K
33.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.51 COP 4,751
-37.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.74 $3.74
$2.38 COP 7,480
57.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$1.77 COP 5,573
169.49%
Eggs
$3.89 $3.89
$2.89 COP 9,093
34.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.31 $15.31
$10.19 COP 32.1K
50.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.05 $13.05
$9.87 COP 31.1K
32.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.89 $19.89
$13.99 COP 44.0K
42.17%
Apples (1kg)
$6.75 $6.75
$3.97 COP 12.5K
70.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.55 COP 4,883
-2.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.54 $7.54
$2.18 COP 6,867
245.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.70 $5.70
$2.18 COP 6,870
161.47%
Potato (1kg)
$4.75 $4.75
$1.96 COP 6,174
142.35%
Onion (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$1.59 COP 5,000
165.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.15 COP 3,604
141.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.24 COP 3,911
64.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.53 $8.53
$3.96 COP 12.5K
115.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$13.68 COP 43.0K
11.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 $1.61
$1.66 COP 5,221
-3.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$2.26 COP 7,103
-23.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.17 COP 3,674
27.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.06 $49.06
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-36.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 $3.54
$1.27 COP 3,989
178.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$2.05 COP 6,442
-28.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.96 $17.96
$8.55 COP 26.9K
110.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 $0.89
$1.35 COP 4,237
-34.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-23.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-26.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 $147
$170 COP 533.7K
-13.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.8 $70.8
$13.55 COP 42.6K
422.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.7 $60.7
$28.07 COP 88.3K
116.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.5 $64.5
$43.70 COP 137.5K
47.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.22 $14.22
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-17.28%
Cinema Ticket
$14.77 $14.77
$6.91 COP 21.7K
113.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,674 $1,674
$797 COP 2.5M
110.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.2K $10.2K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
11.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.1 $52.1
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-38.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.36 $36.36
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-37.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 $88.4
$135 COP 424.6K
-34.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 $133
$97.9 COP 307.9K
35.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,712 $1,712
$1,208 COP 3.8M
41.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 $1,201
$642 COP 2.0M
87.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,632 $2,632
$2,028 COP 6.4M
29.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,960 $1,960
$1,012 COP 3.2M
93.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,250 $3,250
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-22.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,031 $2,031
$1,910 COP 6.0M
6.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Greenville, SC
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,490 $4,490
$657 COP 2.1M
583.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
10.94
-38.57%

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

Last update for Greenville, SC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Greenville, SC
$1.2K
Medellin
$642 46.6% $559
Groceries & Markets
Greenville, SC
$454
Medellin
$297 34.6% $157
Eating Out
Greenville, SC
$309
Medellin
$170 45.1% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenville, SC
$279
Medellin
$211 24.2% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Greenville, SC
$139
Medellin
$169 21.2% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Greenville, SC
$94
Medellin
$58 38.8% $37
Getting Around
Greenville, SC
$66
Medellin
$94 42% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,712 in Greenville, SC versus $1,208 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 Greenville, SC are about 6.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Greenville, SC versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Greenville, SC
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
16:56 4:56 PM
15:56 3:56 PM
1 h behind Greenville, SC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,720
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Greenville, SC Medellin 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Greenville, SC
  • 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
Greenville, SC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Greenville, SC?
Yes – Greenville, SC is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,813 per month in Greenville, SC and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,712 in Greenville, SC.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 37% less in Greenville, SC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,674 per month in Greenville, SC and $797 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 Greenville, SC or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Greenville, SC at $2,542. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Greenville, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Greenville, SC 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Greenville, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Greenville, SC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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