Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Independence, KS and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,034 in Independence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Independence, KS
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Independence, KS Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Independence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,034

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,034 in Independence, KS versus $1,692 in Medellin.

Independence, KS $2,034
Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,012 in Independence, KS versus $2,471 in Medellin.

Independence, KS $3,012
Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,990 in Independence, KS versus $3,249 in Medellin.

Independence, KS $3,990
Medellin $3,249

Living in Independence, KS is roughly 20% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Independence, KS 50% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 $19.98

$8.34 COP 26.9K

139.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 $74.8

$46.53 COP 150.2K

60.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$9.47 COP 30.6K

21.12%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.13 COP 10.1K

72.84%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.77 COP 5,702

53.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.42 COP 4,599

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.15 COP 10.2K

85.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$5.70 COP 18.4K

28.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.53 COP 4,948

-33.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.29 COP 7,397

57.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.94 COP 6,279

107.22%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.07 COP 9,900

31.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$9.99 COP 32.3K

22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$10.45 COP 33.7K

19.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 $17.26

$13.96 COP 45.1K

23.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.05 COP 13.1K

27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.53 COP 4,934

3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.10 COP 6,794

113.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.29 COP 7,405

84.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.11 COP 6,810

27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.71 COP 5,518

64.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.17 COP 3,778

80.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.58 COP 5,101

45.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 $10.27

$3.91 COP 12.6K

162.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.04 COP 45.3K

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.76 COP 5,688

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.71 COP 8,756

30.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.18 COP 3,809

89.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 $64.7

$76.3 COP 246.3K

-15.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.81 COP 5,833

76.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.13 COP 6,874

-7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.80 $30.80

$8.13 COP 26.3K

278.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.28 COP 4,117

-21.88%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-17.53%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.1K COP 110.2M

-23.07%

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

$201 $201

$178 COP 573.8K

13.17%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$13.89 COP 44.8K

312.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$30.74 COP 99.2K

124.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 $39.52

$41.94 COP 135.4K

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 $13.95

$7.47 COP 24.1K

86.75%

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

$1,389 $1,389

$790 COP 2.6M

75.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K $21.2K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

72.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$86.3 COP 278.7K

-37.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 $44.07

$59.3 COP 191.3K

-25.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 $89.9

$138 COP 446.6K

-35.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$98.8 COP 319.0K

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$1,341 COP 4.3M

18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$667 COP 2.2M

4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 $2,539

$1,976 COP 6.4M

28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 $1,051

$1,033 COP 3.3M

1.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-40.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 $2,663

$1,940 COP 6.3M

37.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,237 $5,237

$646 COP 2.1M

710.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

10.94

-39.76%

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

Last update for Independence, KS: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Independence, KS

$695 34.2%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 4% $28

Groceries & Markets

Independence, KS

$401 19.7%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 23.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Independence, KS

$328 16.1%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 32.1% $105

Eating Out

Independence, KS

$322 15.8%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 46.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Independence, KS

$135 6.6%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 27.7% $37

Getting Around

Independence, KS

$87 4.3%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 7.9% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Independence, KS

$67 3.3%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 15.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,591 in Independence, KS and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, KS pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Independence, KS vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $307 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Independence, KS

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

12:51 12:51 PM

1 h ahead of Independence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,213

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Independence, KS Medellin 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Independence, KS
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

Independence, KS vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Independence, KS. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Independence, KS is about 8.1 times higher, 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: $1,591 in Independence, KS versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Independence, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $75 in Independence, KS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin 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.

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