Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mountain View, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent and utilities included – about $36,100 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
227

Cost of Living Index in Mountain View, CA
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Mountain View, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Mountain View, CA $4,650

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $6,615 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Mountain View, CA $6,615

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $8,580 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Mountain View, CA $8,580

Medellin is about 65% cheaper than Mountain View, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Mountain View, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Mountain View, CA by 242%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$20.34 $20.34

-60.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$101 $101

-53.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$11.96 $11.96

-20.57%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$5.21 $5.21

-42.23%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.73 $2.73

-34.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$2.72 $2.72

-48.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$7.15 $7.15

-55.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$9.99 $9.99

-42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.27 $1.27

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$4.18 $4.18

-43.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$4.68 $4.68

-62.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$5.52 $5.52

-47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$16.21 $16.21

-37.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$11.71 $11.71

-15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$12.96 $12.96

7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$5.39 $5.39

-26.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.88 $1.88

-17.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$4.43 $4.43

-50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$5.69 $5.69

-61.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$3.94 $3.94

-50.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$5.65 $5.65

-71.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$2.43 $2.43

-52.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$2.62 $2.62

-52.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$11.63 $11.63

-65.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$12.92 $12.92

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.15 $2.15

-22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.45 $2.45

-7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$2.47 $2.47

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$88.6 $88.6

-12.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.91 $3.91

-67.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$4.87 $4.87

-57.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.57 $1.57

-14.01%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$27.2K $27.2K

25.06%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$26.3K $26.3K

31.86%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$288 $288

-41.18%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$44.81 $44.81

-69.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$63.9 $63.9

-56.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$78.6 $78.6

-44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$11.81 $11.81

45.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$17.10 $17.10

-59.59%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$2,141 $2,141

-62.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$23.6K $23.6K

-61.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$52.7 $52.7

60.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$99.5 $99.5

-41.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$151 $151

-10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$149 $149

-34.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$3,529 $3,529

-65.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$3,039 $3,039

-78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$4,702 $4,702

-56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$5,009 $5,009

-79.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$11.9K $11.9K

-65.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$10.1K $10.1K

-81.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$9,788 $9,788

-93.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.14

78.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mountain View, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Mountain View, CA

$3K 65.4% 374% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Mountain View, CA

$432 9.3% 45.3% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Mountain View, CA

$397 8.5% 88% $186

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Mountain View, CA

$339 7.3% 99.7% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Mountain View, CA

$203 4.4% 20.4% $34

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Mountain View, CA

$127 2.7% 35.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Mountain View, CA

$113 2.4% 96.1% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $3,529 in Mountain View, 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 Mountain View, CA are about 15 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $101 in Mountain View, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $432 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

01:26 1:26 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

82,739

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Mountain View, CA 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mountain View, 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 Mountain View, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mountain View, CA is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $6,974 in Mountain View, 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 $1,208 there versus $3,529 in Mountain View, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $101 in Mountain View, 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 $4,650 in Mountain View, CA. That makes Medellin about 65% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Mountain View, CA at $4,650. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mountain View, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $4,650 in Mountain View, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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