Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
Learn more

Knoxville, TN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,576 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Knoxville, TN $2,576
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Knoxville, TN $3,786
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Knoxville, TN $4,997
Medellin $3,199

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 59% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 90% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 $17.71

$8.30 COP 26.3K

113.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$46.91 COP 148.7K

58.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.24 COP 29.3K

6.71%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.05 COP 9,676

76.39%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.80 COP 5,707

57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.38 COP 4,382

99.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.24 COP 10.3K

96.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 $6.60

$5.56 COP 17.6K

18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.50 COP 4,760

-29.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.37 COP 7,508

46.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.70 COP 5,377

168.24%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$2.96 COP 9,379

50.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 $9.22

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$13.90 COP 44.1K

7.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.13 COP 13.1K

70.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.53 COP 4,839

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.22 COP 7,052

29.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.27 COP 7,194

145.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.99 COP 6,311

8.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.67 COP 5,285

161.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.18 COP 3,742

88.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.24 COP 3,919

76.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.87 COP 12.3K

132.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$13.78 COP 43.7K

10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.66 COP 5,256

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.40 COP 7,615

30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 COP 3,944

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.58 $29.58

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-62.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.28 COP 4,044

298.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.15 COP 6,803

-29.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.87 $29.87

$8.37 COP 26.5K

256.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.35 COP 4,288

-25.19%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-19.84%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-21.34%

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

$223 $223

$167 COP 528.4K

33.99%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$13.62 COP 43.2K

446.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 $53.1

$29.12 COP 92.3K

82.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 $29.37

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-34.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.90 $21.90

$17.18 COP 54.5K

27.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$6.97 COP 22.1K

118.08%

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

$1,246 $1,246

$790 COP 2.5M

57.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

170.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-41.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.53 $45.53

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$139 COP 440.7K

-19.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$98.9 COP 313.5K

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$1,028 COP 3.3M

76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$620 COP 2.0M

107.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$1,881 COP 6.0M

54.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 $2,144

$1,008 COP 3.2M

112.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 $4,681

$3,988 COP 12.6M

17.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 $2,243

$1,702 COP 5.4M

31.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 $3,622

$663 COP 2.1M

446.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 51.8% $665

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 22.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 40.3% $141

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 43.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 15.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 1.2% $0.7

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 106% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,811 in Knoxville, TN and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 446% 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: $75.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h behind Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Knoxville, TN Medellin 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, TN
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

Knoxville, TN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 446% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,811 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Knoxville, TN. 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 $47.00 versus $75.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.