Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Centro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,722 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,722 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
El Centro, CA $2,722

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,943 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
El Centro, CA $3,943

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $5,164 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
El Centro, CA $5,164

Medellin is about 38% cheaper than El Centro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and El Centro, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, El Centro, CA by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$14.78 $14.78

-43.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$49.04 $49.04

-5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$11.60 $11.60

-18.36%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$5.64 $5.64

-44.50%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$2.79 $2.79

-36.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$1.99 $1.99

-28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$6.84 $6.84

-53.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$8.87 $8.87

-35.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.16 $1.16

31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$5.81 $5.81

-60.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$4.37 $4.37

-55.61%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$5.06 $5.06

-39.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$12.30 $12.30

-18.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$20.81 $20.81

-49.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$14.12 $14.12

-1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$5.66 $5.66

-28.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.71 $1.71

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$4.09 $4.09

-48.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$6.58 $6.58

-65.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$3.55 $3.55

-40.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$3.52 $3.52

-51.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$2.36 $2.36

-50.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$2.21 $2.21

-28.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$11.75 $11.75

-66.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$15.19 $15.19

-7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.71 $1.71

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$3.83 $3.83

-29.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$2.04 $2.04

-42.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$68.5 $68.5

11.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$4.63 $4.63

-60.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$1.89 $1.89

12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$36.13 $36.13

-77.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.64 $1.64

-21.95%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$28.1K $28.1K

22.66%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$26.0K $26.0K

31.08%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$212 $212

-15.97%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$70.1 $70.1

-80.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$68.6 $68.6

-55.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$42.87 $42.87

-2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$11.82 $11.82

-36.80%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$1,867 $1,867

-57.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$35.2K $35.2K

-65.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$74.1 $74.1

16.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$41.48 $41.48

42.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$80.6 $80.6

71.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$163 $163

-39.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,486 $1,486

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,282 $1,282

-47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,758 $2,758

-28.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,139 $2,139

-51.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,642 $2,642

55.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,647 $2,647

-26.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for El Centro, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 47.1% 92.1% $615

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

El Centro, CA

$479 17.6% 55.7% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

El Centro, CA

$350 12.9% 57.5% $128

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

El Centro, CA

$292 10.7% 69.1% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

El Centro, CA

$162 5.9% 6.1% $11

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

El Centro, CA

$91 3.3% 2.9% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

El Centro, CA

$67 2.4% 16.9% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,486 in El Centro, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $49 in El Centro, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $479 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

03:40 3:40 AM

3 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,322

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin El Centro, CA 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $2,722 in El Centro, CA – Medellin comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $4,082 in El Centro, 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 $1,341 there versus $1,486 in El Centro, CA.

Public transport costs about 10% less in El Centro, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,867 in El Centro, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in El Centro, CA at $2,722. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Centro, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.