Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Columbia, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,193 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Columbia, SC

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 Columbia, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,193 in Columbia, SC.

Medellin $1,639
Columbia, SC $2,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,366 in Columbia, SC.

Medellin $2,413
Columbia, SC $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,538 in Columbia, SC.

Medellin $3,186
Columbia, SC $4,538

Living in Medellin costs roughly 25% less than in Columbia, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Columbia, SC 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$19.80 $19.80

-59.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$61.1 $61.1

-22.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$11.97 $11.97

-20.63%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$5.42 $5.42

-44.46%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.80 $2.80

-35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$2.18 $2.18

-35.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.43 $5.43

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.39 $6.39

-10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$0.84 $0.84

79.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.53 $2.53

-5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$4.52 $4.52

-60.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$4.03 $4.03

-28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.49 $10.49

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$11.14 $11.14

-11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$15.89 $15.89

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$5.26 $5.26

-24.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.63 $1.63

-4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$6.45 $6.45

-66.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$6.17 $6.17

-64.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$3.10 $3.10

-36.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$4.36 $4.36

-63.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.01 $2.01

-42.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.79 $1.79

-30.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$8.40 $8.40

-52.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$15.62 $15.62

-12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.83 $1.83

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.68 $2.68

-15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.98 $1.98

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$40.15 $40.15

92.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.59 $1.59

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$17.89 $17.89

-52.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.91 $0.91

48.35%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$26.8K $26.8K

27.05%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$25.2K $25.2K

37.56%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$277 $277

-38.81%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$60.2 $60.2

-77.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$63.8 $63.8

-56.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$34.47 $34.47

26.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$18.22 $18.22

-5.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$15.22 $15.22

-54.60%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,117 $1,117

-28.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$22.9K $22.9K

-60.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$52.3 $52.3

62.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$39.57 $39.57

46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$82.2 $82.2

64.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$114 $114

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,430 $1,430

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$832 $832

-22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,198 $3,198

-36.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,672 $1,672

-39.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,313 $2,313

80.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,668 $1,668

14.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,240 $3,240

-79.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.56

66.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Columbia, SC

$832 37.9% 29.6% $190

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Columbia, SC

$389 17.7% 30.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Columbia, SC

$401 18.3% 89.9% $190

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Columbia, SC

$319 14.6% 88.2% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Columbia, SC

$130 5.9% 23.2% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6% 38% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Columbia, SC

$65 3% 12.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,430 in Columbia, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, SC pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $61 in Columbia, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $389 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

139,698

💱 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

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Medellin Columbia, SC 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Columbia, SC

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 Columbia, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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 $1,430 in Columbia, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Columbia, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $61 in Columbia, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Columbia, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Columbia, SC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.