Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Gatos, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $37,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Los Gatos, CA, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Los Gatos, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,787
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,787 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Los Gatos, CA $4,787
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $7,200 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Los Gatos, CA $7,200
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $9,613 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Los Gatos, CA $9,613
  • Medellin $3,249

Los Gatos, CA costs about 183% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Los Gatos, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Los Gatos, CA by 254%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.47 $25.47
$8.34 COP 27.0K
205.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.0 $98.0
$46.53 COP 150.9K
110.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.24 $15.24
$9.47 COP 30.7K
60.93%
Cappuccino
$6.51 $6.51
$3.13 COP 10.2K
107.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.77 COP 5,727
64.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.42 COP 4,619
80.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.90 $7.90
$3.15 COP 10.2K
150.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.05 $8.05
$5.70 COP 18.5K
41.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.53 COP 4,969
-16.34%
White Bread (500g)
$4.20 $4.20
$2.29 COP 7,429
83.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$1.94 COP 6,306
145.88%
Eggs
$6.62 $6.62
$3.07 COP 9,942
115.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.66 $24.66
$9.99 COP 32.4K
146.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.61 $11.61
$10.45 COP 33.9K
11.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.16 $13.16
$13.96 COP 45.3K
-5.73%
Apples (1kg)
$5.35 $5.35
$4.05 COP 13.1K
32.10%
Banana (1kg)
$3.17 $3.17
$1.53 COP 4,956
107.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.91 $4.91
$2.10 COP 6,823
133.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.93 $5.93
$2.29 COP 7,437
158.95%
Potato (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.11 COP 6,839
55.92%
Onion (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$1.71 COP 5,542
132.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.17 COP 3,794
160.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.58 COP 5,123
66.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.98 $11.98
$3.91 COP 12.7K
206.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.10 $13.10
$14.04 COP 45.5K
-6.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.76 COP 5,712
21.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.71 COP 8,793
-8.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.18 COP 3,825
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 $4.11
$1.81 COP 5,859
127.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 $1.83
$2.13 COP 6,904
-14.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.36 $35.36
$8.13 COP 26.4K
334.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.28 COP 4,135
22.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
-18.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-21.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$371 $371
$178 COP 576.3K
108.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.7 $58.7
$13.89 COP 45.0K
322.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.3 $64.3
$30.74 COP 99.7K
109.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$145 $145
$41.94 COP 136.0K
246.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.95 $16.95
$7.47 COP 24.2K
126.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,150 $2,150
$790 COP 2.6M
172.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K $20.3K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
64.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$86.3 COP 279.9K
-40.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.25 $39.25
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-33.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.2 $75.2
$138 COP 448.6K
-45.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.2 $60.2
$98.8 COP 320.4K
-39.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,504 $3,504
$1,341 COP 4.3M
161.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,124 $3,124
$667 COP 2.2M
368.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$6,054 $6,054
$1,033 COP 3.3M
486.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,481 $3,481
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-15.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Los Gatos, CA
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
10.94
-38.85%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Los Gatos, CA
$3.1K
Medellin
$667 78.6% $2.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Gatos, CA
$493
Medellin
$222 54.9% $271
Groceries & Markets
Los Gatos, CA
$470
Medellin
$307 34.6% $163
Eating Out
Los Gatos, CA
$405
Medellin
$173 57.4% $233
Sport & Entertainment
Los Gatos, CA
$179
Medellin
$57 68.2% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Los Gatos, CA
$102
Medellin
$172 69.3% $71
Getting Around
Los Gatos, CA
$13 *
Medellin
$93 606% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,504 in Los Gatos, CA versus $1,341 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 $98 in Los Gatos, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
11:37 11:37 AM
14:37 2:37 PM
3 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,222
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Los Gatos, CA Medellin 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Los Gatos, CA
  • 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 Gatos, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Los Gatos, CA or Medellin?
Los Gatos, CA costs about 183% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Los Gatos, CA and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,181 per month in Los Gatos, CA and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Los Gatos, CA or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $3,504 in Los Gatos, CA.
How do dining costs compare in Los Gatos, CA and in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Los Gatos, CA and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Los Gatos, CA or in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 53% more in Los Gatos, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Los Gatos, CA or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Los Gatos, CA at $4,787. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Gatos, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Los Gatos, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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