Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,455 in Ilion versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,242 in Ilion versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,030 in Ilion versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Ilion is roughly 45% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilion is 9% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.07 €12.26

$5.91 COP 18.9K

138.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €49.31

$32.96 COP 105.2K

71.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.52 €7.43

$7.43 COP 23.7K

14.67%

Cappuccino

$4.13 €3.60

$1.65 COP 5,276

150.30%

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

$1.65 €1.44

$1.10 COP 3,514

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.78 COP 2,491

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.07

$1.72 COP 5,484

237.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.91

$3.18 COP 10.1K

77.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.10 COP 3,521

70.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.26 COP 4,015

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.43

$1.38 COP 4,407

101.45%

Eggs

$5.14 €4.48

$2.18 COP 6,950

135.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 €12.32

$4.49 COP 14.3K

214.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 €9.56

$5.79 COP 18.5K

89.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 €13.37

$8.97 COP 28.6K

70.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.32 COP 7,405

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$1.06 COP 3,397

103.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.52 COP 4,838

3.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.36 COP 4,327

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.13 COP 3,599

24.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.17 COP 3,738

3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.77

$0.90 COP 2,876

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$0.90 COP 2,861

31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €4.98

$2.23 COP 7,128

156.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 €7.40

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.19 COP 3,793

68.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.58

$2.48 COP 7,920

19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 €1.33

$0.85 COP 2,723

78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.38 €40.44

$41.62 COP 132.8K

11.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.56

$1.42 COP 4,518

187.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 €10.02

$7.89 COP 25.2K

45.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.99 COP 3,160

109.09%

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

$28.6K €24.9K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

62.31%

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

$25.2K €22.0K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-5.81%

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

$213 €185

$83.0 COP 264.9K

156.08%

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

$27.07 €23.60

$9.70 COP 30.9K

179.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.55 €28.38

$23.52 COP 75.0K

38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.12 €41.95

$25.26 COP 80.6K

90.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.27 €22.91

$19.10 COP 60.9K

37.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.35

$3.95 COP 12.6K

142.53%

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

$505 €440

$316 COP 1.0M

59.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,507 €5,673

$5,975 COP 19.1M

8.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 €79.3

$60.0 COP 191.4K

51.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 €27.68

$31.82 COP 101.5K

-0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €86.0

$102 COP 324.4K

-2.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €99.8

$107 COP 342.8K

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 €429

$475 COP 1.5M

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 €338

$374 COP 1.2M

3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €666

$849 COP 2.7M

-10.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €533

$719 COP 2.3M

-15.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 €3,242

$3,265 COP 10.4M

13.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,042 €2,652

$1,441 COP 4.6M

111.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,282 €1,118

$624 COP 2.0M

105.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

13.43

-64.26%

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

Last update for Ilion: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Ilion and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 105% 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: $57.0 in Ilion vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $193 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

Ilion vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilion and Medellin differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,455 vs $1,003 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Ilion, 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: $492 in Ilion versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $505 in Ilion versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Ilion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,455 in Ilion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ilion. 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, Ilion 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 45% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.