Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,931 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,931
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $4,224 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,224
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,517 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,517
Medellin $3,249

Madison, WI costs about 73% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madison, WI and Medellin sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 117%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$8.34 COP 26.8K

138.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$46.53 COP 149.7K

39.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$9.47 COP 30.5K

39.07%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.13 COP 10.1K

80.83%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.77 COP 5,681

70.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.42 COP 4,582

72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.15 COP 10.1K

110.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$5.70 COP 18.3K

35.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.53 COP 4,930

-37.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.29 COP 7,370

38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.94 COP 6,257

115.46%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$3.07 COP 9,864

21.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$9.99 COP 32.1K

45.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.45 COP 33.6K

16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 $20.36

$13.96 COP 44.9K

45.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.05 COP 13.0K

13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.53 COP 4,916

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.10 COP 6,769

135.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.29 COP 7,378

103.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.11 COP 6,785

23.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.71 COP 5,498

65.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.17 COP 3,764

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.58 COP 5,083

41.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$3.91 COP 12.6K

178.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$14.04 COP 45.2K

12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.76 COP 5,667

52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.71 COP 8,724

62.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.18 COP 3,795

64.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$76.3 COP 245.4K

-14.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.81 COP 5,812

116.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.13 COP 6,849

-7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.61 $44.61

$8.13 COP 26.2K

448.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.28 COP 4,102

-16.41%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$34.4K COP 110.8M

-11.99%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-25.27%

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

$266 $266

$178 COP 571.7K

49.58%

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

$45.57 $45.57

$13.89 COP 44.7K

228.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$30.74 COP 98.9K

161.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$41.94 COP 134.9K

22.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

$16.80 COP 54.0K

-39.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$7.47 COP 24.0K

96.79%

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

$1,594 $1,594

$790 COP 2.5M

101.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$12.3K COP 39.6M

75.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$86.3 COP 277.7K

-26.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$59.3 COP 190.6K

-21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$138 COP 445.0K

-22.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$98.8 COP 317.8K

22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 $1,723

$1,341 COP 4.3M

28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$667 COP 2.1M

119.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,146 $3,146

$1,976 COP 6.4M

59.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$1,033 COP 3.3M

136.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,429 $4,429

$4,098 COP 13.2M

8.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$1,940 COP 6.2M

27.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,430 $4,430

$646 COP 2.1M

585.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

10.94

-37.75%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: 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

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 54.5% $798

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$416 14.2%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 26.2% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$392 13.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 43.3% $170

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$337 11.5%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 48.8% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$152 5.2%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 13% $20

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$87 3%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 7.4% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$81 2.8%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 29.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,723 in Madison, WI 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.

Salaries in Madison, WI are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Madison, WI versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

09:43 9:43 AM

1 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Madison, WI Medellin 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
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

Madison, WI vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,931 in Madison, WI, $1,692 in Medellin – Medellin comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,396 per month in Madison, WI and $2,538 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,723 in Madison, WI.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Madison, WI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,594 per month in Madison, WI and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Madison, WI at $2,931. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,931 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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