Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gresham, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,712 in Gresham, OR, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Gresham, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,712
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gresham, OR

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 Gresham, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,712 in Gresham, OR.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Gresham, OR $2,712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $3,681 in Gresham, OR.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Gresham, OR $3,681

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $4,650 in Gresham, OR.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Gresham, OR $4,650

Living in Medellin costs roughly 41% less than in Gresham, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Gresham, OR 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.5K
$24.96 $24.96
-67.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 148.3K
$83.4 $83.4
-44.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.1K
$12.26 $12.26
-23.08%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,277
$5.88 $5.88
-50.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,585
$2.92 $2.92
-40.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,218
$1.69 $1.69
-21.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 9,969
$6.34 $6.34
-50.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.7K
$7.21 $7.21
-23.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,495
$1.04 $1.04
35.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,777
$4.20 $4.20
-41.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,191
$3.16 $3.16
-48.42%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 8,990
$4.18 $4.18
-32.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 30.9K
$11.72 $11.72
-17.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 29.7K
$10.46 $10.46
-10.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 42.9K
$16.84 $16.84
-20.07%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.8K
$4.39 $4.39
-8.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,719
$1.59 $1.59
-6.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,768
$2.79 $2.79
-24.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,178
$2.63 $2.63
-14.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,092
$2.14 $2.14
-10.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,160
$1.85 $1.85
-12.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,658
$2.00 $2.00
-42.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,021
$1.71 $1.71
-26.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.2K
$11.83 $11.83
-67.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 41.8K
$10.89 $10.89
20.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,083
$2.10 $2.10
-23.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,188
$2.34 $2.34
-3.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,731
$2.79 $2.79
-58.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 239.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,056
$4.42 $4.42
-71.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,531
$0.77 $0.77
166.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.1K
$23.95 $23.95
-65.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,046
$1.36 $1.36
-6.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 85.3M
$36.9K $36.9K
-27.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 109.6M
$25.3K $25.3K
35.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 516.9K
$198 $198
-18.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 41.8K
$72.0 $72.0
-81.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 89.5K
$66.6 $66.6
-57.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 141.2K
$30.31 $30.31
46.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.4K
$12.01 $12.01
-49.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.4M
$1,350 $1,350
-43.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.4M
$13.0K $13.0K
-31.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 270.8K
$41.07 $41.07
106.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 183.2K
$29.53 $29.53
94.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 419.8K
$84.3 $84.3
56.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 305.1K
$85.2 $85.2
12.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,681 $1,681
-38.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$1,528 $1,528
-60.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.7M
$2,842 $2,842
-36.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$1,888 $1,888
-47.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Gresham, OR
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
$4,028 $4,028
-84.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.7
63.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Gresham, OR: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Gresham, OR
$1.5K 153% $923
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Gresham, OR
$351 21.7% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Gresham, OR
$337 65.5% $133
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Gresham, OR
$108 35.1% $58
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Gresham, OR
$372 123% $205
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Gresham, OR
$19 * 78.7% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Gresham, OR
$54 3.8% $2.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,681 in Gresham, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gresham, OR pays 543% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $83.0 in Gresham, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $351 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Gresham, OR
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
20:16 8:16 PM
2 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
114,247
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Gresham, OR 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Gresham, OR

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 Gresham, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Gresham, OR?
Medellin and Gresham, OR differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $2,712 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 543% lower in Gresham, OR. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Gresham, OR?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,681 in Gresham, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Gresham, OR?
Childcare runs $764 in Medellin versus $1,350 in Gresham, OR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $83.0 in Gresham, OR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,712 in Gresham, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Gresham, OR. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Gresham, OR?
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.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Gresham, OR?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Gresham, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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