Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Ángeles and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Ángeles and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,101 per month in Los Ángeles vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,668 per month in Los Ángeles vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Los Ángeles vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Los Ángeles costs about 7% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Los Ángeles and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Los Ángeles 18% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 CLP 7,628

$5.92 COP 21.4K

44.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.15 CLP 39.3K

$32.75 COP 118.2K

34.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 CLP 7,120

$7.20 COP 26.0K

11.25%

Cappuccino

$2.70 CLP 2,400

$1.70 COP 6,140

58.82%

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

$1.32 CLP 1,173

$1.10 COP 3,966

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 950

$0.72 COP 2,605

48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 CLP 2,949

$1.67 COP 6,022

98.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 CLP 3,625

$3.10 COP 11.2K

31.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,089

$1.06 COP 3,809

15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 CLP 1,390

$1.25 COP 4,497

24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,653

$1.39 COP 5,022

33.81%

Eggs

$3.59 CLP 3,189

$2.26 COP 8,168

58.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 CLP 9,364

$4.33 COP 15.6K

143.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 5,999

$5.84 COP 21.1K

15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 9,616

$8.83 COP 31.9K

22.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,635

$2.24 COP 8,099

-17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,349

$1.08 COP 3,882

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,424

$1.53 COP 5,522

4.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 CLP 1,299

$1.37 COP 4,950

6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 CLP 1,100

$1.13 COP 4,078

9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,246

$1.12 COP 4,036

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 CLP 1,093

$0.85 COP 3,057

44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,042

$0.91 COP 3,281

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 CLP 4,698

$2.33 COP 8,414

126.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 CLP 4,059

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-59.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CLP 1,414

$1.19 COP 4,309

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,005

$2.37 COP 8,553

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 CLP 521

$0.79 COP 2,838

-25.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 414

$1.44 COP 5,184

-67.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,229

$0.94 COP 3,385

46.81%

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

$19.9K CLP 17.7M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

11.14%

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

$21.8K CLP 19.4M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-18.64%

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

$130 CLP 115.3K

$84.0 COP 303.1K

54.44%

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

$13.53 CLP 12.0K

$9.60 COP 34.7K

40.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.63 CLP 19.2K

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 CLP 34.7K

$25.88 COP 93.4K

50.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 CLP 18.7K

$19.04 COP 68.7K

10.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 CLP 5,133

$3.92 COP 14.1K

47.19%

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

$433 CLP 384.7K

$306 COP 1.1M

41.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.79 CLP 44.3K

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-14.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.71 CLP 26.4K

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 CLP 54.9K

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-38.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 CLP 73.3K

$107 COP 386.8K

-23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 CLP 422.0K

$487 COP 1.8M

-2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 CLP 333.2K

$368 COP 1.3M

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 CLP 800.2K

$826 COP 3.0M

8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 CLP 536.7K

$716 COP 2.6M

-15.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

13.43

-61.43%

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

Last update for Los Ángeles: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Los Ángeles versus $487 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Los Ángeles versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ángeles vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Ángeles costs about 7% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,652 per month in Los Ángeles and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Los Ángeles and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Los Ángeles, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Los Ángeles at $1,101. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Ángeles it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,034 versus $1,101 in Los Ángeles. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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