Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ilopango

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Ilopango: $1,625 and $1,619 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
Learn more

Ilopango Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ilopango

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,619 in Ilopango.

Medellin $1,625
Ilopango $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,863 in Ilopango.

Medellin $2,412
Ilopango $1,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,107 in Ilopango.

Medellin $3,199
Ilopango $2,107

Monthly costs are close between Medellin and Ilopango; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Ilopango 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$3.23 $3.23

156.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$44.80 $44.80

4.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$4.97 $4.97

85.92%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,596

$2.96 $2.96

3.04%

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

$1.80 COP 5,659

$0.87 $0.87

106.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,345

$0.99 $0.99

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$0.92 $0.92

252.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$1.75 $1.75

217.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,720

$3.20 $3.20

-53.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,445

$1.49 $1.49

59.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,332

$3.06 $3.06

-44.44%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,301

$2.95 $2.95

0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

$4.96 $4.96

106.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$5.91 $5.91

64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

$10.20 $10.20

36.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$2.98 $2.98

38.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$1.95 $1.95

-21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,993

$1.95 $1.95

13.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$2.04 $2.04

11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,258

$2.02 $2.02

-1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,241

$2.04 $2.04

-18.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$0.93 $0.93

26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,886

$1.03 $1.03

20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$3.91 $3.91

-1.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$11.84 $11.84

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,212

$0.98 $0.98

69.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,552

$2.05 $2.05

17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.88 $0.88

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

$35.26 $35.26

121.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

$6.86 $6.86

-81.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$2.22 $2.22

-3.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

$4.66 $4.66

79.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

$0.68 $0.68

98.53%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

$19.8K $19.8K

75.30%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$25.3K $25.3K

36.90%

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

$167 COP 524.0K

$35.69 $35.69

366.94%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$9.91 $9.91

37.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$40.70 $40.70

-28.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

$40.29 $40.29

11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

$10.07 $10.07

70.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

$5.14 $5.14

35.60%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$103 $103

664.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

$1,882 $1,882

380.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$20.18 $20.18

335.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.8K

$30.10 $30.10

93.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.0K

$74.3 $74.3

87.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$59.0 $59.0

67.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$672 $672

53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$1,002 $1,002

-38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$592 $592

217.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$619 $619

62.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$1,689 $1,689

136.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$953 $953

78.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,010 $1,010

-34.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Ilopango

$1K 61.9% 61.7% $382

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Ilopango

$249 15.4% 16.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Ilopango

$86 5.3% 58.8% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Ilopango

$83 5.1% 52.2% $90

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Ilopango

$92 5.7% 46.3% $79

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 40.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Ilopango

$51 3.1% 14.3% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $672 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $45 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $249 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

38,890

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3,144 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ilopango 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ilopango

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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $672 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $103 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ilopango – a meal for two runs $45 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Ilopango gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.