Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,578 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,488 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,398 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 252% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Angeles, CA is 166% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.43 $25.43

$5.95 COP 21.4K

327.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$33.33 COP 119.6K

204.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 $13.86

$7.23 COP 26.0K

91.70%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$1.63 COP 5,848

261.96%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.09 COP 3,929

174.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.73 COP 2,621

220.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.71 $8.71

$1.74 COP 6,237

400.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 $10.17

$3.23 COP 11.6K

214.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 COP 3,766

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.29 COP 4,643

244.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.32 COP 4,748

339.39%

Eggs

$7.61 $7.61

$2.27 COP 8,152

235.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$4.35 COP 15.6K

193.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.02 $17.02

$5.88 COP 21.1K

189.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$8.61 COP 30.9K

128.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.25 COP 8,066

172.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.07 COP 3,839

155.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.52 COP 5,473

184.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.42 COP 5,105

235.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.17 COP 4,199

151.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.17 COP 4,193

118.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.89 COP 3,183

110.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.90 COP 3,235

137.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 $11.82

$2.25 COP 8,059

425.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$11.04 COP 39.6K

33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.14 COP 4,089

129.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.38 COP 8,537

34.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.84 COP 2,998

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 $83.4

$41.95 COP 150.6K

98.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.41 COP 5,051

125.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.90 COP 6,823

-11.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.67 $28.67

$7.75 COP 27.8K

269.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.01 COP 3,608

29.70%

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

$31.8K $31.8K

$17.6K COP 63.1M

81.11%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K COP 95.1M

0.31%

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

$182 $182

$83.7 COP 300.3K

117.97%

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

$67.2 $67.2

$9.45 COP 33.9K

611.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$24.11 COP 86.5K

187.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.95 $46.95

$25.31 COP 90.8K

85.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.42 $12.42

$19.14 COP 68.7K

-35.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.75 $17.75

$4.10 COP 14.7K

332.93%

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

$1,791 $1,791

$312 COP 1.1M

473.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$5,993 COP 21.5M

291.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 $62.4

$58.0 COP 208.3K

7.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.40 $46.40

$32.56 COP 116.9K

42.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$99.6 COP 357.6K

3.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$109 COP 389.6K

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,620 $2,620

$482 COP 1.7M

443.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 $2,053

$379 COP 1.4M

441.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,480 $4,480

$837 COP 3.0M

434.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,712 $3,712

$723 COP 2.6M

413.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,209 $8,209

$2,840 COP 10.2M

189.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,195 $7,195

$1,223 COP 4.4M

488.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,511 $4,511

$541 COP 1.9M

733.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

13.43

-51.68%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,620 in Los Angeles, CA and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 734% 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: $101 in Los Angeles, CA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 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

Los Angeles, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 252% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Los Angeles, CA pays 734% 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: $2,620 in Los Angeles, CA versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 99% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,791 in Los Angeles, CA versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $3,578 in Los Angeles, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.