Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Modesto, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,708 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Modesto, CA

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,708 in Modesto, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Modesto, CA $2,708

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,910 in Modesto, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Modesto, CA $3,910

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,112 in Modesto, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Modesto, CA $5,112

Medellin is about 39% cheaper than Modesto, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Modesto, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Modesto, CA by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$15.19 $15.19

-46.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$79.2 $79.2

-40.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.88 $8.88

6.98%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.39 $5.39

-44.16%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.61 $2.61

-31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.58 $1.58

-10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$5.07 $5.07

-37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$7.12 $7.12

-19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.05 $1.05

43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.65 $3.65

-34.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$4.09 $4.09

-56.72%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$5.54 $5.54

-47.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$12.89 $12.89

-20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$13.35 $13.35

-26.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$19.65 $19.65

-28.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$5.38 $5.38

-26.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$2.01 $2.01

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$5.54 $5.54

-60.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$5.46 $5.46

-60.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.53 $3.53

-44.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.93 $2.93

-45.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.43 $2.43

-52.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.55 $2.55

-51.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$11.56 $11.56

-65.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$15.25 $15.25

-10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

$1.88 $1.88

-11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$3.33 $3.33

-32.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.96 $1.96

-40.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$40.49 $40.49

91.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.43 $3.43

-62.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$3.05 $3.05

-32.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$30.56 $30.56

-72.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.43 $1.43

-5.59%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$36.9K $36.9K

-7.73%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$26.7K $26.7K

30.04%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$257 $257

-33.99%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$48.45 $48.45

-72.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$68.6 $68.6

-59.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$37.85 $37.85

15.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$14.77 $14.77

16.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$11.21 $11.21

-38.36%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$1,836 $1,836

-56.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$40.6K $40.6K

-77.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$47.86 $47.86

77.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$39.21 $39.21

47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$95.1 $95.1

41.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$121 $121

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,302 $1,302

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,359 $1,359

-52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,824 $1,824

11.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,155 $2,155

-53.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$3,619 $3,619

15.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,962 $2,962

-35.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,071 $4,071

-83.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.1

79.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Modesto, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.2% 112% $718

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Modesto, CA

$442 16.3% 48.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Modesto, CA

$374 13.8% 77.1% $163

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Modesto, CA

$269 9.9% 58.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Modesto, CA

$136 5% 19.3% $33

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5% 28.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Modesto, CA

$60 2.2% 4.8% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,302 in Modesto, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Modesto, CA are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $79 in Modesto, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $442 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

10:43 10:43 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

211,266

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Modesto, CA 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Modesto, CA

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 Modesto, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Modesto, CA is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,062 in Modesto, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,302 in Modesto, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $79 in Modesto, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,708 in Modesto, CA. That’s a gap of about 65%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Modesto, CA at $2,708. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modesto, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Modesto, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.