Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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 Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL.

Medellin $1,614
Des Plaines, IL $3,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $4,419 in Des Plaines, IL.

Medellin $2,402
Des Plaines, IL $4,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $5,815 in Des Plaines, IL.

Medellin $3,190
Des Plaines, IL $5,815

Living in Medellin costs roughly 47% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Des Plaines, IL 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$21.29 $21.29

-62.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$89.1 $89.1

-48.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$13.10 $13.10

-27.48%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$5.68 $5.68

-45.25%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.61 $2.61

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.24 $2.24

-38.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$7.05 $7.05

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$8.22 $8.22

-33.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.92 $0.92

57.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.40 $3.40

-30.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$4.20 $4.20

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$4.23 $4.23

-32.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$14.74 $14.74

-30.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$13.04 $13.04

-26.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$18.82 $18.82

-25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.61 $4.61

-11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.66 $1.66

-9.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.16 $4.16

-47.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.92 $4.92

-53.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.71 $2.71

-28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.72 $2.72

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.09 $2.09

-45.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.45 $2.45

-48.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$10.90 $10.90

-63.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$14.97 $14.97

-10.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.57 $2.57

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.35 $3.35

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.96 $1.96

-38.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$60.0 $60.0

27.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.29 $3.29

-59.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.36 $1.36

57.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$24.88 $24.88

-65.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.99 $0.99

31.31%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$36.1K $36.1K

-22.56%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$25.7K $25.7K

37.56%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$192 $192

-10.36%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$59.2 $59.2

-77.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$76.0 $76.0

-62.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$123 $123

-63.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$39.32 $39.32

-56.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$14.72 $14.72

-57.34%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,563 $1,563

-50.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$23.7K $23.7K

-61.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$64.9 $64.9

33.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$50.8 $50.8

12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$101 $101

35.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$120 $120

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$2,084 $2,084

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,548 $1,548

-60.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$3,937 $3,937

-51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$2,485 $2,485

-58.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,279 $3,279

23.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,480 $2,480

-32.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$6,121 $6,121

-89.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.77

61.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51.2% 151% $932

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$418 13.8% 41.8% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$327 10.8% 52.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$151 5% 11% $19

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$349 11.5% 107% $181

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$78 2.6% 16.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5% 163% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 838% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $418 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

60,675

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Des Plaines, IL 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $3,023 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 838% lower in Des Plaines, IL. 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Des Plaines, IL. 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 $46.00 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.