Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Athens, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Athens, TN
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Athens, TN Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Athens, TN

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 Athens, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Athens, TN $2,116

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,286 in Athens, TN, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Athens, TN $3,286

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,457 in Athens, TN, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Athens, TN $4,457

Medellin is about 20% cheaper than Athens, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Athens, TN sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Athens, TN by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$30.07 $30.07

-72.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$108 $108

-56.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$11.95 $11.95

-20.75%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$5.70 $5.70

-45.09%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$2.94 $2.94

-39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$2.26 $2.26

-37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$6.52 $6.52

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$7.90 $7.90

-27.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$0.94 $0.94

62.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$2.57 $2.57

-10.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$3.93 $3.93

-50.64%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$4.19 $4.19

-26.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$13.83 $13.83

-27.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$6.68 $6.68

56.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$19.75 $19.75

-29.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$5.82 $5.82

-30.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.49 $1.49

2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$5.61 $5.61

-62.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$5.17 $5.17

-55.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$3.54 $3.54

-40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$2.66 $2.66

-35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$2.15 $2.15

-45.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$1.66 $1.66

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$6.83 $6.83

-42.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$15.29 $15.29

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$3.90 $3.90

-54.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$4.87 $4.87

-44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$2.19 $2.19

-46.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$53.5 $53.5

42.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$3.41 $3.41

-46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$1.53 $1.53

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$24.47 $24.47

-66.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$0.94 $0.94

36.17%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$36.1K $36.1K

-4.61%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$26.3K $26.3K

29.98%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$221 $221

-19.42%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$74.4 $74.4

-81.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$55.7 $55.7

-44.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$37.88 $37.88

10.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$8.21 $8.21

-9.01%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$1,784 $1,784

-55.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$34.8K $34.8K

-64.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$52.6 $52.6

64.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$45.25 $45.25

30.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$95.9 $95.9

44.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$108 $108

-8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$861 $861

55.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$695 $695

-4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,465 $1,465

34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,184 $1,184

-12.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,813 $2,813

45.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,313 $2,313

-16.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$8,189 $8,189

-92.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens, TN: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Athens, TN

$695 32.9% 4.2% $28

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Athens, TN

$392 18.6% 27.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Athens, TN

$351 16.6% 57.7% $128

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Athens, TN

$414 19.6% 140% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Athens, TN

$136 6.4% 21.2% $37

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Athens, TN

$73 3.5% 21.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Athens, TN

$54 2.6% 4.6% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $861 in Athens, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens, TN are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $108 in Athens, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $392 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

115,452

💱 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 Athens, TN 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
Athens, TN

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 Athens, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, TN costs about 25% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,174 in Athens, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $861 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Athens, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,784 in Athens, TN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $2,116 in Athens, TN, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,116 in Athens, TN. 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, Athens, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.