Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,500 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
189

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Costa Mesa, CA

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 Costa Mesa, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Costa Mesa, CA $3,934

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $5,396 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Costa Mesa, CA $5,396

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $6,858 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Costa Mesa, CA $6,858

Medellin is about 58% cheaper than Costa Mesa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Costa Mesa, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Costa Mesa, CA by 189%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$20.01 $20.01

-59.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$79.6 $79.6

-40.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$14.83 $14.83

-35.94%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$5.80 $5.80

-48.10%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$3.37 $3.37

-46.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$2.42 $2.42

-41.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$7.21 $7.21

-55.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$9.36 $9.36

-38.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.09 $1.09

38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$4.01 $4.01

-40.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$4.90 $4.90

-63.88%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$4.95 $4.95

-41.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.97 $12.97

-21.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$20.06 $20.06

-50.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$21.10 $21.10

-33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.97 $4.97

-20.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.49 $2.49

-37.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$4.31 $4.31

-49.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$5.67 $5.67

-61.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$4.30 $4.30

-54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.22 $2.22

-28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.18 $2.18

-47.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.91 $1.91

-35.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$12.01 $12.01

-67.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$14.97 $14.97

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.01 $2.01

-17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$4.14 $4.14

-45.41%

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

$70.3 $70.3

10.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$6.09 $6.09

-79.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.47 $1.47

-8.16%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$29.4K $29.4K

16.07%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$26.9K $26.9K

29.01%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$216 $216

-21.46%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$66.4 $66.4

-79.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$70.3 $70.3

-60.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$34.61 $34.61

26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$12.24 $12.24

40.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$16.46 $16.46

-58.02%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,191 $1,191

-33.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$57.4 $57.4

47.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$47.93 $47.93

20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$94.2 $94.2

43.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$129 $129

-24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$2,430 $2,430

-50.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$2,454 $2,454

-73.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,847 $3,847

-47.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$3,588 $3,588

-71.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$10.8K $10.8K

-61.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$7,444 $7,444

-74.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$5,983 $5,983

-89.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.39

71.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.4% 282% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Costa Mesa, CA

$475 12.1% 60.1% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Costa Mesa, CA

$353 9% 66.9% $141

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Costa Mesa, CA

$352 9% 108% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Costa Mesa, CA

$148 3.8% 12.5% $21

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1% 9.8% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Costa Mesa, CA

$68 1.7% 17.4% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,430 in Costa Mesa, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Costa Mesa, CA are about 9.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $80 in Costa Mesa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $475 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

12:54 12:54 PM

3 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

109,960

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Costa Mesa, CA 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Costa Mesa, CA

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 Costa Mesa, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 140% 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $5,900 in Costa Mesa, CA. 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 $2,430 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $80 in Costa Mesa, CA. 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 Costa Mesa, CA at $3,934. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Costa Mesa, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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