Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Plainfield, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,628 in Plainfield, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Plainfield, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Plainfield, IL
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Plainfield, IL Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Plainfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Plainfield, IL

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,628 in Plainfield, IL, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Plainfield, IL $2,628

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,658 in Plainfield, IL, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Plainfield, IL $3,658

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,687 in Plainfield, IL, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Plainfield, IL $4,687

Medellin is about 36% cheaper than Plainfield, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Plainfield, IL sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Plainfield, IL by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$15.12 $15.12

-44.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$73.8 $73.8

-36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$12.20 $12.20

-22.38%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$5.23 $5.23

-40.15%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$2.77 $2.77

-36.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$2.30 $2.30

-38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$6.16 $6.16

-48.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$8.06 $8.06

-29.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.81 $0.81

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$2.86 $2.86

-19.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$3.16 $3.16

-38.61%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$3.78 $3.78

-18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$8.77 $8.77

13.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$9.06 $9.06

15.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$12.46 $12.46

12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.36 $4.36

-7.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.71 $1.71

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$3.09 $3.09

-32.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$2.24 $2.24

2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$2.05 $2.05

2.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.28 $2.28

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.99 $1.99

-41.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.21 $1.21

30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$6.93 $6.93

-43.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$10.02 $10.02

40.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.17 $2.17

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$3.03 $3.03

-10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$2.53 $2.53

-28.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$1.59 $1.59

33.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.11 $1.11

15.32%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$24.8K $24.8K

38.88%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$25.5K $25.5K

34.02%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$171 $171

4.12%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$44.57 $44.57

-68.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$51.1 $51.1

-39.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$11.22 $11.22

-33.42%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$1,019 $1,019

-22.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$16.6K $16.6K

-25.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$48.95 $48.95

76.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$89.9 $89.9

53.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$120 $120

-17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,583 $1,583

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,626 $1,626

-58.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,420 $2,420

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,424 $2,424

-57.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$6,945 $6,945

-90.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.35

72.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Plainfield, IL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Plainfield, IL

$1.6K 61.9% 144% $959

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Plainfield, IL

$299 11.4% 2.6% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Plainfield, IL

$266 10.1% 19.8% $44

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Plainfield, IL

$288 10.9% 66.6% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Plainfield, IL

$116 * 4.4% 32.4% $56

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Plainfield, IL

$10 * 0.4% 88.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Plainfield, IL

$22 * 0.9% 60.6% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,583 in Plainfield, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Plainfield, IL are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $74 in Plainfield, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $299 in Plainfield, IL – so Plainfield, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Plainfield, IL

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

40,466

💱 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 Plainfield, IL 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Plainfield, IL

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 Plainfield, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Plainfield, IL is pricier by about 55%, 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 $3,943 in Plainfield, IL. 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 $1,583 in Plainfield, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $74 in Plainfield, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Plainfield, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Plainfield, IL at $2,628. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plainfield, IL 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Plainfield, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.