Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Brookings, SD $2,639

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,597 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Brookings, SD $3,597

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,556 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Brookings, SD $4,556

Medellin is about 36% cheaper than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Brookings, SD sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Brookings, SD by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$17.36 $17.36

-51.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$39.21 $39.21

18.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$11.52 $11.52

-17.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$4.52 $4.52

-30.75%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$2.46 $2.46

-28.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$2.01 $2.01

-29.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$5.85 $5.85

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$6.81 $6.81

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$0.89 $0.89

71.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$3.68 $3.68

-37.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$6.44 $6.44

-69.88%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$3.52 $3.52

-12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$10.38 $10.38

-3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$13.66 $13.66

-23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$12.99 $12.99

7.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$5.72 $5.72

-29.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.81 $1.81

-15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$6.61 $6.61

-68.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$5.07 $5.07

-54.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$4.46 $4.46

-52.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$4.27 $4.27

-59.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$2.28 $2.28

-48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$2.03 $2.03

-22.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$12.84 $12.84

-69.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$12.05 $12.05

16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$2.89 $2.89

-39.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$5.81 $5.81

-53.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$4.90 $4.90

-63.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$1.67 $1.67

27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$23.75 $23.75

-65.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.04 $1.04

23.08%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$29.6K $29.6K

16.50%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$25.9K $25.9K

31.81%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$184 $184

-3.62%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$57.3 $57.3

-75.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$69.4 $69.4

-55.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$12.03 $12.03

-37.91%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$1,316 $1,316

-39.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$36.7K $36.7K

-66.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$42.51 $42.51

103.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$34.79 $34.79

70.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$88.7 $88.7

56.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$105 $105

-5.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,715 $1,715

-21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,459 $1,459

-54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,051 $2,051

-3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,107 $2,107

-50.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,339 $2,339

75.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,374 $2,374

-18.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.5

98.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Brookings, SD

$1.5K 55.3% 119% $792

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Brookings, SD

$421 16% 36.9% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Brookings, SD

$311 11.8% 39.9% $89

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Brookings, SD

$288 10.9% 67.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Brookings, SD

$122 4.6% 29.3% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 85.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 57.7% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $39 in Brookings, SD. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $421 in Brookings, SD – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

20:49 8:49 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

18,802

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Brookings, SD 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookings, SD costs about 56% 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 $3,958 in Brookings, SD. 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 $1,715 in Brookings, SD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $39 in Brookings, SD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Brookings, SD, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Brookings, SD at $2,639. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, SD 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.