Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Apple Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, CA
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Apple Valley, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Apple Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,760

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Apple Valley, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Apple Valley, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA.

Medellin $1,692
Apple Valley, CA $2,760

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $3,642 in Apple Valley, CA.

Medellin $2,471
Apple Valley, CA $3,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $4,524 in Apple Valley, CA.

Medellin $3,249
Apple Valley, CA $4,524

Living in Medellin costs roughly 39% less than in Apple Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Apple Valley, CA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$15.16 $15.16

-44.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$35.64 $35.64

30.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$10.11 $10.11

-6.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$5.12 $5.12

-38.87%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$2.01 $2.01

-11.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$1.51 $1.51

-5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$4.93 $4.93

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$5.71 $5.71

-0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$0.90 $0.90

70.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$4.01 $4.01

-42.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$2.92 $2.92

-33.56%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$2.01 $2.01

52.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$13.92 $13.92

-28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$13.95 $13.95

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$12.55 $12.55

11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.86 $4.86

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$2.23 $2.23

-31.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$4.37 $4.37

-51.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$4.99 $4.99

-54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$4.56 $4.56

-53.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$4.18 $4.18

-59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$2.17 $2.17

-46.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$2.31 $2.31

-31.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$11.14 $11.14

-64.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$13.75 $13.75

2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.67 $1.67

5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$2.65 $2.65

2.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$1.87 $1.87

-36.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$60.0 $60.0

27.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$3.98 $3.98

-54.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$1.77 $1.77

20.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$24.27 $24.27

-66.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.44 $1.44

-11.11%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$29.6K $29.6K

16.16%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$26.1K $26.1K

30.57%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$246 $246

-27.85%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$81.9 $81.9

-83.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$65.3 $65.3

-52.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$44.81 $44.81

-6.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$11.97 $11.97

-37.59%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$545 $545

44.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$11.1K $11.1K

10.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$31.13 $31.13

177.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$34.84 $34.84

70.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$73.2 $73.2

89.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$138 $138

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,456 $1,456

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,431 $1,431

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,368 $2,368

-16.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,849 $1,849

-44.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,535 $2,535

61.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,168 $2,168

-10.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$4,123 $4,123

-84.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.68

63.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Apple Valley, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Apple Valley, CA

$1.4K 51.9% 115% $764

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Apple Valley, CA

$398 14.4% 29.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Apple Valley, CA

$394 14.3% 77% $171

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Apple Valley, CA

$263 9.5% 52.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Apple Valley, CA

$125 4.5% 27.5% $47

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Apple Valley, CA

$80 2.9% 14.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Apple Valley, CA

$69 2.5% 20.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $1,456 in Apple Valley, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Apple Valley, CA pays about 6.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $36 in Apple Valley, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $398, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

3 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

50,109

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

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

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Apple Valley, CA 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Apple Valley, CA

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

Medellin vs Apple Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,456 in Apple Valley, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Apple Valley, CA – a meal for two runs $36 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA – Medellin is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Apple Valley, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Apple Valley, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.