Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Los Alamos, NM $1,060

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,643 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Los Alamos, NM $1,643

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,227 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Los Alamos, NM $2,227

Medellin costs about 53% more than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Los Alamos, NM is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$16.75 $16.75

-50.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$39.58 $39.58

18.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.82 $9.82

-5.91%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.95 $4.95

-38.38%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.52 $2.52

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.53 $1.53

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$5.91 $5.91

-45.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$6.89 $6.89

-19.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.95 $0.95

57.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.16 $2.16

9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$4.62 $4.62

-63.20%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$4.01 $4.01

-26.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$11.89 $11.89

-14.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.74 $9.74

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$17.91 $17.91

-22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$4.87 $4.87

-15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.43 $1.43

6.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.85 $2.85

-22.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$4.36 $4.36

-47.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.11 $1.11

79.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$3.34 $3.34

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.05 $2.05

-42.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.52 $0.52

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$11.00 $11.00

-64.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.84 $13.84

-0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.46 $2.46

-32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.65 $3.65

-34.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.61 $3.61

-64.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.94 $1.94

10.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$32.32 $32.32

-74.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.94 $0.94

43.62%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$30.0K $30.0K

15.76%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$25.3K $25.3K

37.01%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$156 $156

6.59%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$40.31 $40.31

-66.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$72.5 $72.5

-59.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$12.88 $12.88

-45.89%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$1,480 $1,480

-46.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$25.0K $25.0K

-63.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$20.09 $20.09

337.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$43.66 $43.66

33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$102 $102

35.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$117 $117

-15.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,101 $1,101

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,926 $1,926

-2.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$3,369 $3,369

18.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$3,369 $3,369

-49.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$8,167 $8,167

-91.88%

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 Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3% 14.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4% 28.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12% 26.3% $45

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7% 65.3% $112

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 86% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4% 56.3% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1131% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $342 in Los Alamos, NM – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

13,179

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Los Alamos, NM 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,589 in Los Alamos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Alamos, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM. That's a gap of about 53%.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,480 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Alamos, NM – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Los Alamos, NM. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.