Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, MO and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,442 in Kansas City, MO, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kansas City, MO, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Kansas City, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,442
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,442 per month in Kansas City, MO vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Kansas City, MO $2,442
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,599 per month in Kansas City, MO vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Kansas City, MO $3,599
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,756 per month in Kansas City, MO vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Kansas City, MO $4,756
  • Medellin $3,186

Kansas City, MO costs about 49% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kansas City, MO and Medellin sit above the global median – Kansas City, MO by 79%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.16 $25.16
$8.09 COP 26.1K
211.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.5 $80.5
$47.05 COP 151.9K
71.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.48 $12.48
$9.50 COP 30.7K
31.37%
Cappuccino
$5.98 $5.98
$3.01 COP 9,734
98.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 $3.19
$1.80 COP 5,809
77.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.41 COP 4,560
74.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.96 $6.96
$3.18 COP 10.3K
118.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.61 $7.61
$5.75 COP 18.6K
32.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.51 COP 4,875
-23.18%
White Bread (500g)
$3.37 $3.37
$2.38 COP 7,677
41.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.16 $5.16
$1.77 COP 5,719
191.53%
Eggs
$4.21 $4.21
$2.89 COP 9,332
45.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.38 $14.38
$10.19 COP 32.9K
41.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.82 $9.82
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-0.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 $13.71
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-2.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.49 $4.49
$3.97 COP 12.8K
13.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 $1.62
$1.55 COP 5,011
4.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.43 $4.43
$2.18 COP 7,047
103.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$2.18 COP 7,050
153.21%
Potato (1kg)
$3.21 $3.21
$1.96 COP 6,336
63.78%
Onion (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$1.59 COP 5,131
108.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 $2.28
$1.15 COP 3,698
98.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.24 COP 4,014
69.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.93 $7.93
$3.96 COP 12.8K
100.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.03 $15.03
$13.68 COP 44.2K
9.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.66 COP 5,359
16.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 $3.95
$2.26 COP 7,290
74.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.17 COP 3,770
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.48 $2.48
$1.27 COP 4,094
95.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 $1.21
$2.05 COP 6,611
-40.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.7 $59.7
$8.55 COP 27.6K
598.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.35 COP 4,348
-26.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K $34.4K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-24.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 $199
$170 COP 547.7K
17.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$66.6 $66.6
$13.55 COP 43.7K
391.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.5 $72.5
$28.07 COP 90.6K
158.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.00 $44.00
$43.70 COP 141.1K
0.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.05 $32.05
$17.19 COP 55.5K
86.45%
Cinema Ticket
$15.17 $15.17
$6.91 COP 22.3K
119.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,136 $1,136
$797 COP 2.6M
42.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.0K $21.0K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
130.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 $61.7
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-27.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 $43.49
$58.0 COP 187.1K
-24.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$135 COP 435.7K
-23.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 $147
$97.9 COP 316.0K
50.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,250 $1,250
$1,208 COP 3.9M
3.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,087 $1,087
$642 COP 2.1M
69.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,468 $2,468
$2,028 COP 6.5M
21.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,724 $1,724
$1,012 COP 3.3M
70.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,584 $2,584
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-38.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,837 $1,837
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-3.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kansas City, MO
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,939 $3,939
$657 COP 2.1M
499.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.56
10.94
-40.04%

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

Last update for Kansas City, MO: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kansas City, MO
$1.1K
Medellin
$642 41% $445
Groceries & Markets
Kansas City, MO
$392
Medellin
$297 24.2% $95
Eating Out
Kansas City, MO
$383
Medellin
$170 55.7% $214
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kansas City, MO
$338
Medellin
$211 37.4% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Kansas City, MO
$160
Medellin
$169 5.7% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Kansas City, MO
$74
Medellin
$58 22.6% $17
Getting Around
Kansas City, MO
$8.5 *
Medellin
$94 997% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,250 in Kansas City, MO versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kansas City, MO are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Kansas City, MO versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
21:46 9:46 PM
22:46 10:46 PM
1 h ahead of Kansas City, MO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,202
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kansas City, MO Medellin 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kansas City, MO
  • 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
Kansas City, MO vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kansas City, MO and in Medellin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,442 in Kansas City, MO, $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Kansas City, MO compared to Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,664 per month in Kansas City, MO and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Kansas City, MO and in Medellin?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,250 in Kansas City, MO and $1,208 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city is more expensive overall: Kansas City, MO or Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,442 in Kansas City, MO and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 33% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kansas City, MO and Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $1,136 per month in Kansas City, MO and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How does quality of life compare between Kansas City, MO and Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,442 in Kansas City, MO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Kansas City, MO and Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kansas City, MO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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