Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grand Island, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,648 in Grand Island, NE, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Grand Island, NE
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Grand Island, NE Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Grand Island, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Grand Island, NE

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 Grand Island, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,648 in Grand Island, NE, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Grand Island, NE $2,648

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,864 in Grand Island, NE, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Grand Island, NE $3,864

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,079 in Grand Island, NE, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Grand Island, NE $5,079

Medellin is about 38% cheaper than Grand Island, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Grand Island, NE sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Grand Island, NE by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$19.03 $19.03

-57.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$75.7 $75.7

-37.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$10.84 $10.84

-12.36%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.17 $5.17

-41.78%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.57 $2.57

-29.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.95 $1.95

-27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$6.06 $6.06

-47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$7.09 $7.09

-18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.99 $0.99

52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.57 $3.57

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$4.24 $4.24

-58.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.09 $4.09

-29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$12.27 $12.27

-16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$11.38 $11.38

-13.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$15.24 $15.24

-8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$4.81 $4.81

-17.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.59 $1.59

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$4.29 $4.29

-49.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.68 $4.68

-53.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.90 $2.90

-32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.78 $2.78

-42.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.00 $2.00

-42.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.16 $2.16

-42.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$9.43 $9.43

-58.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$14.26 $14.26

-4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.85 $1.85

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.44 $3.44

-34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.03 $2.03

-42.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$53.9 $53.9

43.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.44 $3.44

-63.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.66 $1.66

23.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$29.32 $29.32

-70.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.89 $0.89

51.69%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$29.7K $29.7K

14.55%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$25.7K $25.7K

34.99%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$184 $184

-7.78%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$52.8 $52.8

-74.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$66.8 $66.8

-58.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$43.25 $43.25

1.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$13.37 $13.37

-48.32%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$1,290 $1,290

-38.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$23.8K $23.8K

-61.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$50.0 $50.0

69.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$39.99 $39.99

44.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$86.7 $86.7

55.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$112 $112

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,600 $1,600

-24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,376 $1,376

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,667 $2,667

-23.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,256 $2,256

-55.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,768 $2,768

50.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,469 $2,469

-22.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.51

68.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grand Island, NE: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Grand Island, NE

$1.4K 52% 115% $735

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Grand Island, NE

$385 14.6% 29.8% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Grand Island, NE

$304 11.5% 43.7% $92

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Grand Island, NE

$309 11.7% 82.4% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Grand Island, NE

$130 4.9% 23.1% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Grand Island, NE

$74 2.8% 21.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Grand Island, NE

$70 2.6% 21.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,600 in Grand Island, NE. 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 $76 in Grand Island, NE. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $385 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Grand Island, NE

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,632

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Grand Island, NE 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Grand Island, NE

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 Grand Island, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Grand Island, NE is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,973 in Grand Island, NE. 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 $1,600 in Grand Island, NE.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Grand Island, NE. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $1,290 in Grand Island, NE. 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 $1,639, than in Grand Island, NE at $2,648. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Grand Island, NE 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.