Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Chicago, IL $5,999

Medellin is about 46% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$20.71 $20.71

-60.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$89.2 $89.2

-47.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$13.19 $13.19

-27.98%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.66 $5.66

-46.82%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.64 $2.64

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$2.28 $2.28

-38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$6.87 $6.87

-53.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$8.84 $8.84

-34.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.25 $1.25

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.72 $3.72

-36.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$5.39 $5.39

-67.16%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.74 $4.74

-39.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$13.84 $13.84

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$14.40 $14.40

-31.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$18.38 $18.38

-23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$5.22 $5.22

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.98 $1.98

-21.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$4.06 $4.06

-46.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.97 $4.97

-56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.67 $2.67

-26.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.66 $2.66

-40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.24 $2.24

-48.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$3.13 $3.13

-60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$13.82 $13.82

-71.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$14.88 $14.88

-8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.54 $2.54

-34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.51 $3.51

-35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.43 $2.43

-51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$73.5 $73.5

5.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.18 $3.18

-60.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.39 $1.39

47.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$25.03 $25.03

-65.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.20 $1.20

12.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.77%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$26.7K $26.7K

29.98%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$194 $194

-12.74%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$69.5 $69.5

-80.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$61.6 $61.6

-54.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$47.90 $47.90

-8.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$27.34 $27.34

-37.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$17.81 $17.81

-61.20%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$1,794 $1,794

-55.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$31.9K $31.9K

-71.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$67.0 $67.0

26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$52.1 $52.1

11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$102 $102

32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$144 $144

-31.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$2,526 $2,526

-52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,578 $1,578

-59.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$4,738 $4,738

-57.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,693 $2,693

-62.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$4,190 $4,190

-0.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,768 $2,768

-30.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,931 $4,931

-86.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.81

60.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 146% $936

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 50.6% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 54.1% $114

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 103% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 3% $5

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 45.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $447 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Chicago, IL 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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