Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Phoenix

For one person, living is cheaper in Phoenix: $842 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Phoenix

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Phoenix

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $842 in Phoenix, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Phoenix $842

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,313 in Phoenix, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Phoenix $1,313

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,784 in Phoenix, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Phoenix $1,784

Medellin costs about 95% more than Phoenix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Phoenix is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.16 MUR 102

274.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$31.24 MUR 1,472

50.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.49 MUR 353

26.84%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$5.40 MUR 255

-44.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.65 MUR 30.75

176.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.55 MUR 25.73

156.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.11 MUR 99.4

50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.36 MUR 253

7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.50 MUR 70.9

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.40 MUR 18.92

495.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.17 MUR 102

-18.43%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.01 MUR 236

-42.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.34 MUR 393

18.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.30 MUR 297

122.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$7.41 MUR 349

-46.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$3.79 MUR 178

-59.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$4.63 MUR 218

-52.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.53 MUR 72.2

42.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.89 MUR 41.91

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.81 MUR 38.31

96.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.70 MUR 33.14

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.76 MUR 35.72

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.54 MUR 497

29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.06 MUR 97.2

-19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.03 MUR 48.74

13.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$10.76 MUR 507

619.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.46 MUR 68.6

40.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.29 MUR 60.8

4.65%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.45 MUR 681

-6.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$25.12 MUR 1,184

11.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$25.60 MUR 1,206

70.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.39 MUR 254

28.20%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$53.6 MUR 2,526

58.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$53.5 MUR 2,519

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$531 MUR 25.0K

127.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$323 MUR 15.2K

98.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$855 MUR 40.3K

137.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$525 MUR 24.7K

92.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$939 MUR 44.2K

-29.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phoenix: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Phoenix

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Phoenix

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Phoenix

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Phoenix

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Phoenix

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Phoenix

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Phoenix

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $531 in Phoenix. 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 43% higher in Phoenix, 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 $31 in Phoenix. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $242 – making Phoenix the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇺 Phoenix

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

08:46 8:46 AM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

115,289

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 47.12 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.61 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Phoenix 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Phoenix

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 Phoenix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,262 in Phoenix. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phoenix, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $531 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Phoenix. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Phoenix, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Phoenix it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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 $842 in Phoenix to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Phoenix is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.