Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lombard, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,625 in Lombard, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Lombard, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,625 in Lombard, IL.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Lombard, IL $2,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $3,685 in Lombard, IL.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Lombard, IL $3,685

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $4,745 in Lombard, IL.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Lombard, IL $4,745

Living in Medellin costs roughly 38% less than in Lombard, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Lombard, IL 94% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$19.91 $19.91
-58.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$73.5 $73.5
-36.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$11.30 $11.30
-18.23%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$6.33 $6.33
-51.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$2.68 $2.68
-32.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$2.57 $2.57
-46.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$7.05 $7.05
-54.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$6.01 $6.01
-7.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$0.98 $0.98
53.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$3.56 $3.56
-33.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$4.48 $4.48
-62.05%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$4.28 $4.28
-30.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$12.20 $12.20
-16.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$11.69 $11.69
-16.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$16.87 $16.87
-17.61%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$5.03 $5.03
-17.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.57 $1.57
-2.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$4.32 $4.32
-48.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$4.83 $4.83
-53.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$2.78 $2.78
-28.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$3.00 $3.00
-44.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$2.00 $2.00
-41.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$1.92 $1.92
-35.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$10.18 $10.18
-61.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$14.98 $14.98
-8.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$1.99 $1.99
-16.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$3.44 $3.44
-30.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$1.93 $1.93
-35.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$2.67 $2.67
-52.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$1.63 $1.63
31.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$32.54 $32.54
-74.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.20 $1.20
12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$25.7K $25.7K
35.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$25.0K $25.0K
38.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$225 $225
-25.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$58.7 $58.7
-76.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$69.2 $69.2
-57.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$41.48 $41.48
8.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$14.03 $14.03
-50.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$1,562 $1,562
-49.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$24.5K $24.5K
-63.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$60.6 $60.6
44.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$37.12 $37.12
56.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$84.8 $84.8
63.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$129 $129
-23.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,612 $1,612
-36.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$1,313 $1,313
-52.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$2,313 $2,313
-18.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$1,891 $1,891
-46.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$2,780 $2,780
43.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$2,167 $2,167
-21.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Lombard, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.57
66.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lombard, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Lombard, IL
$1.3K 112% $693
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Lombard, IL
$394 32.3% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Lombard, IL
$353 68.4% $143
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Lombard, IL
$140 18.9% $33
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Lombard, IL
$337 97.5% $167
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Lombard, IL
$19 * 80.6% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Lombard, IL
$70 17.8% $11

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 $1,612 in Lombard, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $74.0 in Lombard, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $394 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Lombard, IL
🕒 Local time
18:11 6:11 PM
18:11 6:11 PM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
42,792
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Lombard, IL 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Lombard, 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 Lombard, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lombard, IL cheaper than Medellin?
Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $3,938 in Lombard, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Lombard, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,612 in Lombard, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Lombard, IL?
Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lombard, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Lombard, IL?
All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $2,625 in Lombard, IL – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Lombard, IL?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,625 in Lombard, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lombard, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Medellin or Lombard, IL more family-friendly?
For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lombard, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Lombard, IL?
Safety-wise, Medellin and Lombard, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Lombard, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?