Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Geneva, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,602 in Geneva, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Geneva, IL, United States
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Geneva, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,602
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,602 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Geneva, IL $2,602

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,713 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Geneva, IL $3,713

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,824 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Geneva, IL $4,824

Medellin is about 35% cheaper than Geneva, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Geneva, IL sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Geneva, IL by 92%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$14.04 $14.04
-40.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$63.1 $63.1
-26.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$11.88 $11.88
-20.29%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$5.18 $5.18
-39.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,727
$2.88 $2.88
-38.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,619
$2.39 $2.39
-40.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$6.12 $6.12
-48.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$7.30 $7.30
-21.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,969
$0.83 $0.83
84.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,429
$2.76 $2.76
-17.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,306
$2.95 $2.95
-34.24%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,942
$3.63 $3.63
-15.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$7.55 $7.55
32.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$11.40 $11.40
-8.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$10.49 $10.49
33.08%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$4.63 $4.63
-12.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,956
$1.62 $1.62
-5.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,823
$3.47 $3.47
-39.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,437
$4.51 $4.51
-49.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,839
$1.72 $1.72
22.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,542
$2.84 $2.84
-39.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,794
$1.67 $1.67
-29.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,123
$2.37 $2.37
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$10.81 $10.81
-63.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.5K
$8.48 $8.48
65.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,712
$1.77 $1.77
-0.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,793
$4.27 $4.27
-36.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,825
$2.19 $2.19
-46.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$55.9 $55.9
36.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,859
$3.96 $3.96
-54.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,904
$1.97 $1.97
8.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$43.13 $43.13
-81.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,135
$1.11 $1.11
15.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$24.4K $24.4K
41.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$25.9K $25.9K
31.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.3K
$175 $175
1.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$45.68 $45.68
-69.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$67.4 $67.4
-54.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$40.80 $40.80
2.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$11.84 $11.84
-36.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$1,518 $1,518
-47.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$21.1K $21.1K
-41.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 279.9K
$57.2 $57.2
51.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$46.86 $46.86
26.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.6K
$89.5 $89.5
54.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.4K
$124 $124
-20.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,449 $1,449
-7.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,430 $1,430
-53.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$2,260 $2,260
-12.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$2,278 $2,278
-54.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$2,438 $2,438
68.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,095 $2,095
-7.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Geneva, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.35
72.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Geneva, IL: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Geneva, IL
$1.4K 114% $762
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Geneva, IL
$323 5.1% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Geneva, IL
$288 29.4% $65
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Geneva, IL
$276 60.1% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Geneva, IL
$143 17.2% $30
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Geneva, IL
$78 16% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Geneva, IL
$64 13.3% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,449 in Geneva, IL. 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 $63 in Geneva, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $323 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Geneva, IL
🕒 Local time
22:11 10:11 PM
21:11 9:11 PM
1 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
12,812
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Geneva, IL 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Geneva, 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 Geneva, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Geneva, IL compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $2,602 in Geneva, IL – Medellin comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Geneva, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,903 in Geneva, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Geneva, IL?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,449 in Geneva, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Geneva, IL?
Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,518 in Geneva, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Geneva, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Geneva, IL at $2,602. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geneva, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Geneva, IL?
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.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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