Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Auburn, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,176 in Auburn, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, CA
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Auburn, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Auburn, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,176 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Auburn, CA $3,176

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,577 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Auburn, CA $4,577

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,978 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Auburn, CA $5,978

Medellin is about 48% cheaper than Auburn, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Auburn, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Auburn, CA by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$24.65 $24.65

-67.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$91.5 $91.5

-48.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$11.86 $11.86

-19.90%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$4.88 $4.88

-38.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.62 $2.62

-31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$2.35 $2.35

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.95 $4.95

-35.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.95 $6.95

-17.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.22 $1.22

23.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$4.48 $4.48

-46.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$8.19 $8.19

-78.39%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.18 $3.18

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$25.82 $25.82

-60.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$18.26 $18.26

-45.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$22.83 $22.83

-38.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$8.16 $8.16

-51.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.72 $1.72

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$8.75 $8.75

-75.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$6.62 $6.62

-67.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$5.11 $5.11

-61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$3.01 $3.01

-47.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.02 $2.02

-43.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.30 $2.30

-46.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$12.00 $12.00

-67.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$14.93 $14.93

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.39 $1.39

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$3.56 $3.56

-67.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$90.8 $90.8

-14.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.16 $3.16

-59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.42 $2.42

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$39.43 $39.43

-78.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.28 $1.28

5.47%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.2K $27.2K

25.17%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$24.2K $24.2K

43.14%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$186 $186

-8.91%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$50.4 $50.4

-73.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$66.9 $66.9

-58.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$64.2 $64.2

-31.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$15.04 $15.04

-54.06%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$2,510 $2,510

-68.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,097 $6,097

49.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$70.7 $70.7

19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$46.61 $46.61

24.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$108 $108

24.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$203 $203

-51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,831 $1,831

-34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,558 $1,558

-58.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,710 $2,710

-25.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,294 $2,294

-55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,305 $3,305

26.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,699 $2,699

-29.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,957 $3,957

-83.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.77

61.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Auburn, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Auburn, CA

$1.6K 49.1% 143% $917

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Auburn, CA

$557 17.5% 87.5% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Auburn, CA

$303 9.6% 43.7% $92

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Auburn, CA

$350 11% 106% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Auburn, CA

$193 6.1% 14% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Auburn, CA

$120 3.8% 28.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Auburn, CA

$94 3% 63.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,831 in Auburn, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Auburn, CA are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $91 in Auburn, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $557 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Auburn, CA

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

3 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

76,143

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Auburn, CA 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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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 Auburn, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $3,176 in Auburn, CA – Medellin comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,764 in Auburn, CA. 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 $1,208 there versus $1,831 in Auburn, CA.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $2,510 in Auburn, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Auburn, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Auburn, CA at $3,176. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Auburn, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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