Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,251 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,251 in Iowa City, IA.

Medellin $1,639
Iowa City, IA $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,264 in Iowa City, IA.

Medellin $2,413
Iowa City, IA $3,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,276 in Iowa City, IA.

Medellin $3,186
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Living in Medellin costs roughly 27% less than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Iowa City, IA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$15.12 $15.12

-46.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$67.3 $67.3

-30.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.03 $9.03

5.20%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$5.54 $5.54

-45.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.77 $2.77

-35.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$2.23 $2.23

-36.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.86 $4.86

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$7.13 $7.13

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$0.92 $0.92

64.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.79 $2.79

-14.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$2.02 $2.02

-12.38%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.71 $3.71

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.43 $9.43

8.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$10.64 $10.64

-7.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$19.95 $19.95

-29.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.37 $3.37

17.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.22 $1.22

27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.65 $2.65

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.87 $4.87

-55.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.98 $1.98

-1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.36 $2.36

-32.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.71 $1.71

-32.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$2.38 $2.38

-47.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$10.13 $10.13

-60.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$13.70 $13.70

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.72 $1.72

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$4.54 $4.54

-50.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.91 $3.91

-67.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.97 $1.97

4.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$43.67 $43.67

-80.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.99 $0.99

36.36%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.2K $27.2K

25.34%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$25.8K $25.8K

34.49%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$271 $271

-37.50%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$51.5 $51.5

-73.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$81.6 $81.6

-65.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$29.80 $29.80

46.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$19.65 $19.65

-12.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$13.86 $13.86

-50.14%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,292 $1,292

-38.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$23.7K $23.7K

-61.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$64.4 $64.4

31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$49.68 $49.68

16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$98.6 $98.6

36.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$115 $115

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,242 $1,242

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,003 $1,003

-36.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,933 $1,933

4.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,637 $1,637

-38.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,514 $3,514

18.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,811 $1,811

5.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,822 $3,822

-82.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.45

69.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 56.3% $361

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 18.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 91.5% $193

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 61% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 12.8% $22

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 85.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 0% $0

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 $1,208 in Medellin and $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $67 in Iowa City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $352 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

16:09 4:09 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

74,828

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Iowa City, IA 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $1,292 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $67 in Iowa City, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin 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.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Iowa City, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.