Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Ilopango and in Medellin: $1,619 and $1,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Ilopango versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Ilopango $1,619
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Ilopango versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Ilopango $1,863
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,107 in Ilopango versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Ilopango $2,107
Medellin $3,199

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilopango 19% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 $3.23

$8.30 COP 26.1K

-61.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 $44.80

$46.91 COP 147.5K

-4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$9.24 COP 29.1K

-46.21%

Cappuccino

$2.96 $2.96

$3.05 COP 9,596

-2.95%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.80 COP 5,659

-51.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.38 COP 4,345

-28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 $0.92

$3.24 COP 10.2K

-71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$5.56 COP 17.5K

-68.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.50 COP 4,720

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.37 COP 7,445

-37.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.70 COP 5,332

80.00%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$2.96 COP 9,301

-0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$10.22 COP 32.1K

-51.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$9.74 COP 30.6K

-39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$13.90 COP 43.7K

-26.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$4.13 COP 13.0K

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.53 COP 4,799

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.22 COP 6,993

-12.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.27 COP 7,135

-10.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.99 COP 6,258

1.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.67 COP 5,241

22.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.18 COP 3,711

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.24 COP 3,886

-16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.87 COP 12.2K

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 $11.84

$13.78 COP 43.3K

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.66 COP 5,212

-40.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.40 COP 7,552

-14.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.24 COP 3,911

-29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 $35.26

$78.2 COP 245.9K

-54.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 $6.86

$1.28 COP 4,011

435.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.15 COP 6,747

3.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$8.37 COP 26.3K

-44.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.35 COP 4,252

-49.63%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$34.8K COP 109.3M

-42.95%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-26.96%

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

$35.69 $35.69

$167 COP 524.0K

-78.58%

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

$9.91 $9.91

$13.62 COP 42.8K

-27.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$29.12 COP 91.6K

39.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 $40.29

$45.09 COP 141.8K

-10.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 $10.07

$17.18 COP 54.0K

-41.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$6.97 COP 21.9K

-26.26%

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

$103 $103

$790 COP 2.5M

-86.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,882 $1,882

$9,041 COP 28.4M

-79.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.18 $20.18

$87.8 COP 276.1K

-77.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$58.2 COP 182.8K

-48.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 $74.3

$139 COP 437.0K

-46.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 $59.0

$98.9 COP 310.9K

-40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

$1,028 COP 3.2M

-34.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$620 COP 1.9M

61.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 $592

$1,881 COP 5.9M

-68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 $619

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-38.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,689 $1,689

$3,988 COP 12.5M

-57.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$953 $953

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-44.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 $1,010

$663 COP 2.1M

52.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.16%

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

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ilopango

$1K 61.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 38.2% $382

Groceries & Markets

Ilopango

$249 15.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 19.4% $48

Eating Out

Ilopango

$92 5.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 86.1% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilopango

$86 5.3%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 143% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Ilopango

$83 5.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 109% $90

Getting Around

Ilopango

$57 3.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 67.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ilopango

$51 3.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 16.7% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Ilopango and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45 in Ilopango vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $298 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

1 h ahead of Ilopango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,890

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 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 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3,144 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ilopango Medellin 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ilopango
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

Ilopango vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 52% higher in Ilopango, 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: $672 in Ilopango versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Ilopango 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 Ilopango – a meal for two runs $45 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Ilopango gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.