Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cape Girardeau, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
Learn more

Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cape Girardeau, MO

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 Cape Girardeau, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Medellin $1,639
Cape Girardeau, MO $2,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,261 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Medellin $2,413
Cape Girardeau, MO $3,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,401 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Medellin $3,186
Cape Girardeau, MO $4,401

Living in Medellin costs roughly 23% less than in Cape Girardeau, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Cape Girardeau, MO 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.74 $17.74

-54.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$56.5 $56.5

-16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.79 $6.79

39.91%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$6.11 $6.11

-50.74%

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

$1.80 $1.80

-21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.01 $3.01

5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$7.40 $7.40

-22.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.98 $0.98

54.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$7.34 $7.34

-75.89%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.92 $2.92

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$15.15 $15.15

-32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$18.68 $18.68

-47.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$24.75 $24.75

-43.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.26 $3.26

21.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.95 $1.95

-20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$11.47 $11.47

-80.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$8.96 $8.96

-75.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.16 $2.16

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$6.20 $6.20

-74.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.91 $2.91

-60.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.57 $2.57

-51.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$7.68 $7.68

-48.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.22 $12.22

11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.76 $1.76

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$7.93 $7.93

-71.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.86 $0.86

56.98%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.9K $27.9K

21.91%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$25.0K $25.0K

38.83%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$196 $196

-13.66%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$42.68 $42.68

-68.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$82.4 $82.4

-65.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$20.14 $20.14

116.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$14.82 $14.82

-53.37%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$826 $826

-3.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$44.41 $44.41

90.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$40.67 $40.67

42.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$86.2 $86.2

56.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$39.27 $39.27

149.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$798 $798

51.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$856 $856

-25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,578 $1,578

28.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,666 $1,666

-39.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,505 $1,505

177.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,520 $1,520

25.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,411 $2,411

-72.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.45

69.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$856 40.4% 33.4% $214

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$515 24.3% 73.5% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$322 15.2% 52.2% $110

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$283 13.4% 67% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$95 4.5% 43.9% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4% 13.5% $7.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $56 in Cape Girardeau, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $515 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

03:22 3:22 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

37,941

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Cape Girardeau, MO 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cape Girardeau, MO

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 Cape Girardeau, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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 $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO – Medellin is about 23% 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, Cape Girardeau, MO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.