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: $2,627 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,779 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 155% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 96% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$5.92 COP 21.2K

198.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$33.17 COP 118.7K

154.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.25 COP 25.9K

38.21%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$1.71 COP 6,137

240.94%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.09 COP 3,915

125.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.77 COP 2,743

205.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$1.75 COP 6,254

263.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.18 COP 11.4K

97.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.06 COP 3,792

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.30 COP 4,657

190.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.38 COP 4,926

190.58%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.21 COP 7,908

70.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$4.52 COP 16.2K

122.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$5.80 COP 20.7K

46.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$8.97 COP 32.1K

72.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$2.29 COP 8,182

173.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.06 COP 3,791

30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.51 COP 5,411

71.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.36 COP 4,869

297.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.16 COP 4,146

89.66%

Onion (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.17 COP 4,174

288.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.83 COP 2,960

189.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.85 COP 3,043

162.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$2.35 COP 8,423

286.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.09 COP 39.7K

33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.15 COP 4,133

57.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.47 COP 8,853

15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.79 COP 2,827

29.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 $29.43

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-29.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.44 COP 5,140

244.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.90 COP 6,793

-20.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$7.70 COP 27.6K

282.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.03 COP 3,680

-17.48%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

71.26%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-1.76%

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

$240 $240

$81.4 COP 291.4K

195.33%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$9.42 COP 33.7K

467.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$23.77 COP 85.1K

189.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$25.86 COP 92.6K

35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 $25.38

$19.34 COP 69.2K

31.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$4.05 COP 14.5K

252.35%

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

$1,140 $1,140

$312 COP 1.1M

264.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

240.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-5.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 $59.2

$32.82 COP 117.5K

80.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$100 COP 359.6K

8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$106 COP 380.3K

13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$490 COP 1.8M

238.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$371 COP 1.3M

247.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$838 COP 3.0M

278.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 $1,805

$715 COP 2.6M

152.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,694 $4,694

$2,952 COP 10.6M

59.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,222 $2,222

$1,394 COP 5.0M

59.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,511 $3,511

$532 COP 1.9M

559.94%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Knoxville, TN and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 560% 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: $85 in Knoxville, TN vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $190 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 155% 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 560% 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: $1,655 in Knoxville, TN versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% 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 $85.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $2,627 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 $1,030 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 155% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.