Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pago Pago

For one person, living is cheaper in Pago Pago: $1,477 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Pago Pago
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Pago Pago Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Pago Pago

🇦🇸 American Samoa

$1,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pago Pago

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,477 in Pago Pago, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Pago Pago $1,477

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,274 in Pago Pago, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Pago Pago $2,274

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,071 in Pago Pago, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Pago Pago $3,071

Medellin costs about 11% more than Pago Pago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Pago Pago sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Pago Pago by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$35.62 $35.62

32.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$9.90 $9.90

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.95 $3.95

45.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.53 $2.53

-40.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.85 $2.85

-16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$4.19 $4.19

-57.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.63 $4.63

-37.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$10.13 $10.13

0.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$9.98 $9.98

-1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$11.55 $11.55

21.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$5.89 $5.89

-32.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.98 $0.98

58.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.94 $2.94

-25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$3.94 $3.94

-44.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.93 $3.93

-50.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$3.97 $3.97

-59.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.04 $2.04

-43.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.97 $1.97

-37.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$11.66 $11.66

-66.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$14.74 $14.74

-7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.87 $2.87

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.05 $2.05

-42.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$125 $125

-37.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$5.13 $5.13

-75.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$2.04 $2.04

0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$29.67 $29.67

-71.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.29 $1.29

4.65%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$30.3K $30.3K

12.45%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$20.0K $20.0K

73.07%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$415 $415

-59.12%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$29.55 $29.55

-54.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$75.9 $75.9

-63.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$49.77 $49.77

-12.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$10.03 $10.03

71.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$8.84 $8.84

-21.83%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$984 $984

-19.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$9,831 $9,831

-7.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$70.8 $70.8

19.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$49.70 $49.70

16.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$78.7 $78.7

71.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$98.7 $98.7

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$327 $327

269.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$203 $203

216.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$911 $911

122.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$691 $691

46.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$18.2K $18.2K

-77.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$10.9K $10.9K

-82.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,183 $1,183

-44.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

264.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pago Pago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Pago Pago

$203 13.7% 68.4% $439

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Pago Pago

$363 24.6% 22.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Pago Pago

$520 35.2% 146% $309

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Pago Pago

$42 * 2.8% 75.5% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Pago Pago

$134 9.1% 20.7% $35

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Pago Pago

$148 10% 58.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Pago Pago

$67 4.6% 17.2% $9.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $327 in Pago Pago. 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 80% higher in Pago Pago, 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 in Medellin versus $36 in Pago Pago. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $363 in Pago Pago – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇸 Pago Pago

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

09:00 9:00 AM

6 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,500 Capital

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Pago Pago 10,730 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pago Pago

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 Pago Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,216 in Pago Pago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pago Pago, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $327 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $36 in Pago Pago. 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 $1,477 in Pago Pago. That makes Pago Pago about 10% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,477 in Pago Pago. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,477 in Pago Pago to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.