Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,208 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,208

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,208 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Lincoln, NE $2,208
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,239 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Lincoln, NE $3,239
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,270 in Lincoln, NE versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Lincoln, NE $4,270
Medellin $3,186

Living in Lincoln, NE is roughly 35% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln, NE 62% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$8.09 COP 26.1K

150.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$47.05 COP 151.9K

68.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$9.50 COP 30.7K

28.11%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.01 COP 9,735

88.04%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$1.80 COP 5,809

29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.41 COP 4,561

24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.18 COP 10.3K

60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 $9.17

$5.75 COP 18.6K

59.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.51 COP 4,876

-40.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.38 COP 7,678

35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$1.77 COP 5,720

257.06%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$2.89 COP 9,333

55.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$10.19 COP 32.9K

12.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 $8.43

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.82 $14.82

$13.99 COP 45.2K

5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$3.97 COP 12.8K

76.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.55 COP 5,012

35.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.18 COP 7,048

171.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.18 COP 7,051

100.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.96 COP 6,337

71.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.59 COP 5,132

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.15 COP 3,699

62.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.24 COP 4,014

115.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$3.96 COP 12.8K

132.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.30 $17.30

$13.68 COP 44.2K

26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.66 COP 5,359

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.26 COP 7,291

13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.17 COP 3,771

5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.91 $16.91

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-78.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.27 COP 4,094

298.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.05 COP 6,612

-7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.14 $35.14

$8.55 COP 27.6K

310.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.35 COP 4,349

-26.67%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-19.13%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-26.29%

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

$144 $144

$170 COP 547.8K

-15.18%

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

$47.84 $47.84

$13.55 COP 43.8K

253.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$28.07 COP 90.6K

132.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-4.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$17.19 COP 55.5K

52.12%

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 $15.08

$6.91 COP 22.3K

118.23%

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

$834 $834

$797 COP 2.6M

4.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 $48.84

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-42.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 $35.07

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-39.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$135 COP 435.8K

-35.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$97.9 COP 316.0K

19.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 $956

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-20.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 $982

$642 COP 2.1M

53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$2,028 COP 6.5M

6.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 $1,451

$1,012 COP 3.3M

43.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-40.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,767 $1,767

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-7.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,834 $3,834

$657 COP 2.1M

483.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

10.94

-41.77%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: 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

Lincoln, NE

$982 44.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 34.7% $341

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$404 18.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 26.6% $107

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$327 14.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 48.1% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$257 11.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 17.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 30.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$72 3.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 19.8% $14

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$36 1.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 157% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Lincoln, NE and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Lincoln, NE vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h ahead of Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Lincoln, NE Medellin 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, NE
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

Lincoln, NE vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Lincoln, NE. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Lincoln, NE is about 5.8 times higher, 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: $956 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $79 in Lincoln, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,208 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Lincoln, NE on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.