Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bowling Green, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,945 in Bowling Green, KY, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Bowling Green, KY
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Bowling Green, KY Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bowling Green, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bowling Green, KY

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 Bowling Green, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,945 in Bowling Green, KY.

Medellin $1,639
Bowling Green, KY $1,945

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,878 in Bowling Green, KY.

Medellin $2,413
Bowling Green, KY $2,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,811 in Bowling Green, KY.

Medellin $3,186
Bowling Green, KY $3,811

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% less than in Bowling Green, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bowling Green, KY 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$13.26 $13.26

-38.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$55.2 $55.2

-14.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$9.15 $9.15

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$4.87 $4.87

-38.19%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.48 $2.48

-27.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$2.06 $2.06

-31.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$3.90 $3.90

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.13 $5.13

12.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.79 $0.79

91.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.20 $2.20

-19.55%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.64 $2.64

9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$10.06 $10.06

1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$10.25 $10.25

-3.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$12.63 $12.63

10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$4.72 $4.72

-15.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.20 $1.20

29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.62 $2.62

-16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$3.69 $3.69

-40.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.71 $1.71

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.45 $2.45

-35.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.81 $1.81

-36.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.26 $1.26

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$9.18 $9.18

-56.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$12.79 $12.79

6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.66 $1.66

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.54 $1.54

46.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.03 $2.03

-42.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$39.72 $39.72

94.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$7.48 $7.48

-83.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.58 $1.58

29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$24.80 $24.80

-65.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.94 $0.94

43.62%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$27.6K $27.6K

23.48%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$26.1K $26.1K

32.75%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$149 $149

13.95%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$45.05 $45.05

-69.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$68.8 $68.8

-59.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$25.39 $25.39

72.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$11.96 $11.96

43.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$14.98 $14.98

-53.87%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$2,283 $2,283

-65.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$25.3K $25.3K

-64.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$51.6 $51.6

64.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$31.20 $31.20

85.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$102 $102

32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$152 $152

-35.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$966 $966

25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$875 $875

-26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,583 $1,583

28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,472 $1,472

-31.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,177 $2,177

91.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,820 $1,820

4.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,057 $3,057

-78.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.66

64.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bowling Green, KY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bowling Green, KY

$875 45% 36.4% $234

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bowling Green, KY

$298 15.3% 0.3% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bowling Green, KY

$263 13.5% 24.3% $51

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bowling Green, KY

$240 12.3% 41.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bowling Green, KY

$151 7.8% 10.5% $18

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bowling Green, KY

$63 3.3% 32.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bowling Green, KY

$55 2.9% 3.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $966 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowling Green, KY pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $55 in Bowling Green, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Bowling Green, KY

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

53,176

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Bowling Green, KY 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bowling Green, KY

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 Bowling Green, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Bowling Green, KY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 79% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $966 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bowling Green, KY runs roughly 49% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,945 in Bowling Green, KY – Medellin is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Bowling Green, KY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.