Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,711 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,821 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 157% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 94% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$5.99 COP 21.5K

202.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 $85.9

$32.86 COP 118.1K

161.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$7.09 COP 25.5K

40.06%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$1.71 COP 6,154

237.43%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.10 COP 3,949

126.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.78 COP 2,798

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 $6.53

$1.68 COP 6,035

288.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 $6.42

$3.07 COP 11.0K

109.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.09 COP 3,930

-5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.26 COP 4,536

191.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.38 COP 4,953

189.13%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$2.19 COP 7,876

74.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 $10.12

$4.40 COP 15.8K

130.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.63 COP 20.2K

57.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$8.89 COP 32.0K

74.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.34 COP 8,401

176.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.06 COP 3,801

33.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.50 COP 5,408

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$1.38 COP 4,955

292.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.15 COP 4,137

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.16 COP 4,181

293.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.89 COP 3,202

159.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.84 COP 3,016

163.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 $8.71

$2.28 COP 8,196

282.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.64 COP 38.2K

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.20 COP 4,311

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.47 COP 8,880

16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.86 COP 3,075

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.19 $30.19

$41.40 COP 148.8K

-27.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.47 COP 5,297

231.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.96 COP 7,053

-22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.13 $30.13

$7.74 COP 27.8K

289.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.95 COP 3,430

-13.68%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

64.74%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-1.00%

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

$238 $238

$82.3 COP 295.6K

189.65%

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

$53.8 $53.8

$9.50 COP 34.1K

466.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$24.23 COP 87.1K

180.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 $34.24

$25.89 COP 93.0K

32.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.24 $25.24

$19.00 COP 68.3K

32.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$3.93 COP 14.1K

273.79%

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

$1,124 $1,124

$309 COP 1.1M

263.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

243.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 $61.2

$32.35 COP 116.2K

89.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$103 COP 368.7K

5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$108 COP 389.6K

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$476 COP 1.7M

255.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$379 COP 1.4M

236.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,167 $3,167

$838 COP 3.0M

277.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 $1,803

$724 COP 2.6M

149.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,783 $4,783

$2,791 COP 10.0M

71.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,225 $2,225

$1,211 COP 4.4M

83.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,571 $3,571

$512 COP 1.8M

597.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

13.43

-50.93%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Knoxville, TN and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 598% 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: $86.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $188 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 157% 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.

Knoxville, TN pays 598% more on average, 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: $1,693 in Knoxville, TN versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% 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 $33.00 versus $86.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,600 in Knoxville, TN, a $1,500 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 $1,013 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 157% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.