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: $1,636 in Ilion versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,575 in Ilion versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,515 in Ilion versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Monthly costs are close between Ilion and Medellin; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilion 19% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.03 €12.10

$8.04 COP 24.8K

74.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €54.1

$48.29 COP 148.6K

29.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 €7.88

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-2.97%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.66

$2.94 COP 9,040

44.22%

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

$2.31 €1.99

$1.86 COP 5,735

24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.52

$1.46 COP 4,479

-58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.05

$3.21 COP 9,882

82.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.87

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.44 COP 4,428

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.40 COP 7,389

-38.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 €2.49

$1.70 COP 5,228

70.00%

Eggs

$5.10 €4.39

$2.89 COP 8,896

76.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 €11.10

$10.06 COP 30.9K

28.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 €9.71

$9.97 COP 30.7K

12.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.52

$14.20 COP 43.7K

34.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.58 COP 4,878

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.24

$2.15 COP 6,624

-33.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.30 COP 7,078

-3.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$2.00 COP 6,169

-42.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.51 COP 4,646

-19.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.20 COP 3,701

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.28 COP 3,946

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 €4.69

$3.84 COP 11.8K

41.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 €7.10

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.71 COP 5,256

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.00

$2.74 COP 8,440

27.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.25 COP 3,834

14.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.62 €41.91

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-37.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 €4.03

$1.31 COP 4,016

257.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.89

$2.17 COP 6,680

-52.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.23 €12.27

$8.29 COP 25.5K

71.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.36 COP 4,172

67.65%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

5.59%

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

$25.4K €21.9K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-30.47%

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

$224 €193

$169 COP 519.2K

32.98%

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

$27.52 €23.72

$13.57 COP 41.8K

102.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.92 €24.93

$28.32 COP 87.2K

2.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 €44.66

$45.71 COP 140.7K

13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.80 €22.24

$17.22 COP 53.0K

49.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 €7.83

$6.65 COP 20.5K

36.69%

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

$491 €424

$803 COP 2.5M

-38.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,781 €4,121

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-47.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 €60.9

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-19.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 €31.78

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-37.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.5

$139 COP 427.5K

-25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €95.6

$102 COP 314.0K

8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 €535

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-42.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 €447

$653 COP 2.0M

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 €1,041

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 €892

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-1.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,702 €3,192

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-10.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,042 €2,622

$1,697 COP 5.2M

79.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,327 €1,144

$655 COP 2.0M

102.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.4

10.94

-59.78%

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

Last update for Ilion: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Ilion and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 103% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63.0 in Ilion vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $300 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

Average pay runs 103% 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: $621 in Ilion versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ilion runs roughly 60% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,636 in Ilion versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilion but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ilion 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ilion wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.