Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Monterey, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,540 in Monterey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Monterey, CA
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Monterey, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,540 in Monterey, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Monterey, CA $3,540

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $5,060 in Monterey, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Monterey, CA $5,060

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $6,580 in Monterey, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Monterey, CA $6,580

Medellin is about 52% cheaper than Monterey, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Monterey, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Monterey, CA by 162%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$20.08 $20.08

-58.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$80.3 $80.3

-42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$12.07 $12.07

-21.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$5.29 $5.29

-40.83%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$3.11 $3.11

-43.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$1.71 $1.71

-16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$7.81 $7.81

-59.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$5.88 $5.88

-3.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.73 $1.73

-11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$3.00 $3.00

-23.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$2.52 $2.52

-23.02%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$4.63 $4.63

-33.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$9.14 $9.14

9.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$13.08 $13.08

-20.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$5.97 $5.97

133.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.50 $3.50

15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.15 $1.15

33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$3.30 $3.30

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$3.97 $3.97

-42.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$2.72 $2.72

-22.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.95 $1.95

-12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.82 $1.82

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.25 $1.25

26.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$11.72 $11.72

-66.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$17.32 $17.32

-18.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.67 $2.67

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.90 $1.90

42.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$1.98 $1.98

-40.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$70.5 $70.5

8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$2.61 $2.61

-30.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$2.22 $2.22

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$34.65 $34.65

-76.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$28.8K $28.8K

19.59%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$26.2K $26.2K

30.36%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$236 $236

-24.65%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$77.2 $77.2

-82.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$74.3 $74.3

-58.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$89.4 $89.4

-53.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$10.41 $10.41

61.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$13.24 $13.24

-43.58%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$567 $567

39.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$33.4K $33.4K

-63.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$78.0 $78.0

10.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$90.6 $90.6

-34.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$131 $131

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$135 $135

-26.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$2,574 $2,574

-47.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$2,088 $2,088

-68.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$3,931 $3,931

-49.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$3,441 $3,441

-69.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$9,943 $9,943

-58.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$7,551 $7,551

-74.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$4,267 $4,267

-84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.62

65.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterey, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Monterey, CA

$2.1K 59% 213% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Monterey, CA

$330 9.3% 7.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Monterey, CA

$387 10.9% 74.2% $165

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Monterey, CA

$330 9.3% 91.4% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Monterey, CA

$196 5.5% 13.6% $23

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Monterey, CA

$92 2.6% 1.5% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Monterey, CA

$116 3.3% 104% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $2,574 in Monterey, 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 Monterey, CA are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $80 in Monterey, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $330 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Monterey, CA

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

01:16 1:16 AM

3 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

28,803

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Monterey, CA 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Monterey, 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 Monterey, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monterey, CA is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $5,309 in Monterey, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $2,574 in Monterey, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $80 in Monterey, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $3,540 in Monterey, CA. That makes Medellin about 52% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Monterey, CA at $3,540. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterey, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $3,540 in Monterey, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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