Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hoffman Estates, IL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Hoffman Estates, IL
Learn more

Hoffman Estates, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,548

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Hoffman Estates, IL $2,548
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Hoffman Estates, IL $3,650
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,753 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Hoffman Estates, IL $4,753
Medellin $3,199

Living in Hoffman Estates, IL is roughly 57% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hoffman Estates, IL 88% 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

$66.6 $66.6

$46.91 COP 148.7K

41.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$9.24 COP 29.3K

10.06%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$3.05 COP 9,676

59.34%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.80 COP 5,707

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.38 COP 4,382

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.24 COP 10.3K

97.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.56 COP 17.6K

10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 COP 4,760

-32.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.37 COP 7,508

44.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.70 COP 5,377

152.35%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.96 COP 9,379

44.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$10.22 COP 32.4K

21.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$9.74 COP 30.9K

16.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$13.90 COP 44.1K

24.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.13 COP 13.1K

20.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.53 COP 4,839

3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.22 COP 7,052

92.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.27 COP 7,194

102.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.99 COP 6,311

36.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.67 COP 5,285

80.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.18 COP 3,742

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.24 COP 3,919

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.92 $8.92

$3.87 COP 12.3K

130.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.78 COP 43.7K

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.66 COP 5,256

33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.40 COP 7,615

19.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.24 COP 3,944

65.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.28 COP 4,044

163.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.15 COP 6,803

-29.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 $30.23

$8.37 COP 26.5K

261.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.35 COP 4,288

-9.63%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-24.06%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-21.99%

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

$222 $222

$167 COP 528.4K

33.26%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$13.62 COP 43.2K

336.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$29.12 COP 92.3K

135.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.74 $41.74

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-7.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 $13.87

$6.97 COP 22.1K

99.00%

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

$1,385 $1,385

$790 COP 2.5M

75.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

180.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-33.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 $40.85

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-29.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$139 COP 440.7K

-35.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$98.9 COP 313.5K

23.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,028 COP 3.3M

57.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$620 COP 2.0M

107.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 $2,803

$1,881 COP 6.0M

49.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 $2,029

$1,008 COP 3.2M

101.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 $2,652

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-33.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 $2,396

$1,702 COP 5.4M

40.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,390 $2,390

$663 COP 2.1M

260.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.94

-39.95%

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

Last update for Hoffman Estates, IL: 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

Hoffman Estates, IL

$1.3K 50.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 51.7% $664

Groceries & Markets

Hoffman Estates, IL

$395 15.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 24.5% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hoffman Estates, IL

$350 13.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 40.2% $141

Eating Out

Hoffman Estates, IL

$291 11.4%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 41.2% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Hoffman Estates, IL

$140 5.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 23% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Hoffman Estates, IL

$69 2.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 15% $10

Getting Around

Hoffman Estates, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 397% $76

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 $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hoffman Estates, IL pays 260% 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: $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hoffman Estates, IL

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Hoffman Estates, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,895

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hoffman Estates, IL Medellin 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hoffman Estates, 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

Hoffman Estates, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hoffman Estates, IL and Medellin differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,548 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 260% higher in Hoffman Estates, IL, 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: $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,385 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hoffman Estates, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hoffman Estates, IL 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 57% less than in Hoffman Estates, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.