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: $2,607 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,706 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,804 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 156% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 95% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$5.93 COP 19.0K

205.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 $84.8

$33.12 COP 106.0K

156.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$7.12 COP 22.8K

38.90%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$1.71 COP 5,457

248.54%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.05 COP 3,356

144.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.72 COP 2,311

243.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$1.72 COP 5,502

287.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 $6.24

$3.17 COP 10.2K

96.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.06 COP 3,408

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.31 COP 4,192

187.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.33 COP 4,256

184.96%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.28 COP 7,298

62.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$4.42 COP 14.1K

124.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$5.92 COP 18.9K

51.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$8.64 COP 27.7K

83.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$2.34 COP 7,504

170.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.10 COP 3,527

28.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.47 COP 4,698

81.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$1.38 COP 4,415

286.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.17 COP 3,754

84.62%

Onion (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.17 COP 3,744

303.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.90 COP 2,890

158.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.84 COP 2,693

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.33 COP 7,449

286.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$11.92 COP 38.1K

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.15 COP 3,673

59.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.42 COP 7,749

16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.84 COP 2,687

22.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.57 $29.57

$40.83 COP 130.7K

-27.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.41 COP 4,517

263.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.91 COP 6,127

-20.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.20 $30.20

$7.83 COP 25.0K

285.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.94 COP 3,020

-15.96%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

68.15%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-2.61%

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

$235 $235

$83.3 COP 266.4K

182.39%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$9.66 COP 30.9K

469.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$24.22 COP 77.5K

185.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.22 $34.22

$25.22 COP 80.7K

35.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.92 $24.92

$19.33 COP 61.9K

28.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$4.07 COP 13.0K

261.92%

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

$1,134 $1,134

$307 COP 981.2K

269.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

242.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$60.0 COP 191.9K

-6.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 $60.1

$32.65 COP 104.5K

84.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$101 COP 323.5K

6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$108 COP 345.7K

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$476 COP 1.5M

251.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$379 COP 1.2M

246.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,273 $3,273

$816 COP 2.6M

300.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 $1,841

$707 COP 2.3M

160.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,765 $4,765

$3,190 COP 10.2M

49.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,446 COP 4.6M

56.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,541 $3,541

$622 COP 2.0M

469.50%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in Knoxville, TN and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 470% 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: $85.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $192 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 156% 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 470% 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: $1,675 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 95% 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 $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,607 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 $1,018 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 156% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.