Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Alamos, NM and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,060
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,643 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,643
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,227 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $2,227
Medellin $3,199

Los Alamos, NM is about 35% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Los Alamos, NM sits 22% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 $16.75

$8.30 COP 26.3K

101.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.58 $39.58

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$9.24 COP 29.3K

6.28%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.05 COP 9,676

62.30%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.80 COP 5,707

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.38 COP 4,382

10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.24 COP 10.3K

82.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$5.56 COP 17.6K

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.50 COP 4,760

-36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.37 COP 7,508

-8.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.70 COP 5,377

171.76%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$2.96 COP 9,379

35.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$10.22 COP 32.4K

16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$9.74 COP 30.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 $17.91

$13.90 COP 44.1K

28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.13 COP 13.1K

17.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.53 COP 4,839

-6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.22 COP 7,052

28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.27 COP 7,194

92.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.99 COP 6,311

-44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.67 COP 5,285

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.18 COP 3,742

73.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.24 COP 3,919

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 $11.00

$3.87 COP 12.3K

184.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.78 COP 43.7K

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.66 COP 5,256

48.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.40 COP 7,615

52.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.28 COP 4,044

182.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.15 COP 6,803

-9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 $32.32

$8.37 COP 26.5K

286.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.35 COP 4,288

-30.37%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-13.62%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-27.01%

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

$156 $156

$167 COP 528.4K

-6.18%

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

$40.31 $40.31

$13.62 COP 43.2K

195.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$29.12 COP 92.3K

148.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$6.97 COP 22.1K

84.79%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$790 COP 2.5M

87.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

176.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.09 $20.09

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-77.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-24.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$139 COP 440.7K

-26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$98.9 COP 313.5K

18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 $1,101

$1,028 COP 3.3M

7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 $1,926

$1,881 COP 6.0M

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-15.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$1,702 COP 5.4M

97.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,167 $8,167

$663 COP 2.1M

1131.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.94

-39.95%

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

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 12.8% $44

Eating Out

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 39.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 22.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 35.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 129% $33

Getting Around

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 615% $82

Accommodation & Living

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0%

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1131% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $342 in Los Alamos, NM vs $298 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

12:49 12:49 PM

1 h ahead of Los Alamos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,179

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 →

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Los Alamos, NM Medellin 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Alamos, NM
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

Los Alamos, NM vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Alamos, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 53%.

Kindergarten costs $1,480 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Alamos, NM – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Los Alamos, NM. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.