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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,587 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 138% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Banos, CA is 80% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 $14.80

$5.99 COP 21.5K

147.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$32.86 COP 118.1K

142.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$7.09 COP 25.5K

40.48%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$1.71 COP 6,154

185.96%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.10 COP 3,949

130.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.78 COP 2,798

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 $6.99

$1.68 COP 6,035

316.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$3.07 COP 11.0K

137.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.09 COP 3,930

-13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.26 COP 4,536

168.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.38 COP 4,953

120.29%

Eggs

$1.68 $1.68

$2.19 COP 7,876

-23.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 $8.42

$4.40 COP 15.8K

91.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 $7.40

$5.63 COP 20.2K

31.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$8.89 COP 32.0K

39.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.34 COP 8,401

47.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.06 COP 3,801

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.50 COP 5,408

86.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.38 COP 4,955

98.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.15 COP 4,137

153.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.16 COP 4,181

112.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.89 COP 3,202

156.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.84 COP 3,016

194.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$2.28 COP 8,196

377.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$10.64 COP 38.2K

14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.20 COP 4,311

54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.47 COP 8,880

-46.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.86 COP 3,075

138.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.47 COP 5,297

75.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.96 COP 7,053

-21.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.90 $28.90

$7.74 COP 27.8K

273.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.95 COP 3,430

18.95%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

100.27%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

19.52%

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

$220 $220

$82.3 COP 295.6K

168.00%

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

$44.17 $44.17

$9.50 COP 34.1K

364.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$24.23 COP 87.1K

172.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 $43.18

$25.89 COP 93.0K

66.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$3.93 COP 14.1K

275.83%

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

$1,305 $1,305

$309 COP 1.1M

321.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

294.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.89 $23.89

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-59.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.34 $22.34

$32.35 COP 116.2K

-30.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 $51.5

$103 COP 368.7K

-49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 $58.9

$108 COP 389.6K

-45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 $1,609

$476 COP 1.7M

237.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 $1,353

$379 COP 1.4M

257.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,616 $2,616

$838 COP 3.0M

212.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$724 COP 2.6M

207.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-5.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,371 $2,371

$1,211 COP 4.4M

95.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,555 $6,555

$512 COP 1.8M

1180.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

13.43

-50.63%

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

Last update for Los Banos, CA: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Los Banos, CA and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 1181% 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: $80.0 in Los Banos, CA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $188 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 Banos, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 138% lower than in Los Banos, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Los Banos, CA pays 1181% 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: $1,609 in Los Banos, CA versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Los Banos, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,410 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,410 in Los Banos, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, CA. 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 $1,013 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 138% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.