Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Roanoke, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,443 in Roanoke, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Roanoke, AL, United States
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Roanoke, AL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Roanoke, AL

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,443 in Roanoke, AL, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Roanoke, AL $2,443

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,736 in Roanoke, AL, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Roanoke, AL $3,736

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $5,030 in Roanoke, AL, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Roanoke, AL $5,030

Medellin is about 31% cheaper than Roanoke, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Roanoke, AL sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Roanoke, AL by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$20.13 $20.13
-58.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.2K
$73.9 $73.9
-37.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$11.56 $11.56
-18.08%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$5.27 $5.27
-40.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,702
$2.65 $2.65
-33.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,599
$2.02 $2.02
-29.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$5.90 $5.90
-46.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$6.57 $6.57
-13.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,948
$1.04 $1.04
47.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$3.61 $3.61
-36.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,279
$4.95 $4.95
-60.81%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,900
$4.09 $4.09
-24.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$10.63 $10.63
-6.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$11.55 $11.55
-9.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$17.03 $17.03
-18.03%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$5.17 $5.17
-21.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,934
$1.65 $1.65
-7.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,794
$4.47 $4.47
-53.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,405
$4.64 $4.64
-50.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,810
$2.85 $2.85
-25.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,518
$2.64 $2.64
-35.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,778
$2.34 $2.34
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,101
$2.54 $2.54
-37.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$10.41 $10.41
-62.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$15.03 $15.03
-6.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,688
$1.84 $1.84
-4.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,756
$3.00 $3.00
-9.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,809
$1.79 $1.79
-34.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.3K
$60.5 $60.5
26.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,833
$3.14 $3.14
-42.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,874
$1.88 $1.88
13.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$25.55 $25.55
-68.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,117
$0.96 $0.96
33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$26.1K $26.1K
31.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$24.6K $24.6K
38.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.8K
$196 $196
-9.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$67.0 $67.0
-79.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$69.2 $69.2
-55.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$40.23 $40.23
4.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$13.80 $13.80
-45.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$1,342 $1,342
-41.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$23.0K $23.0K
-46.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.7K
$53.7 $53.7
60.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.3K
$41.09 $41.09
44.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.6K
$89.8 $89.8
54.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.0K
$116 $116
-14.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,673 $1,673
-19.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,108 $1,108
-39.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$2,534 $2,534
-22.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$2,102 $2,102
-50.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$2,844 $2,844
44.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$2,343 $2,343
-17.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Roanoke, AL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.59
66.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Roanoke, AL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Roanoke, AL
$1.1K 66.1% $441
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Roanoke, AL
$399 29.9% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Roanoke, AL
$332 49.4% $110
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Roanoke, AL
$320 85.6% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Roanoke, AL
$135 21.6% $37
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Roanoke, AL
$80 14.2% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Roanoke, AL
$68 19.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,673 in Roanoke, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $74 in Roanoke, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $399 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇸 Roanoke, AL
🕒 Local time
17:30 5:30 PM
16:30 4:30 PM
1 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
99,837
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Roanoke, AL 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Roanoke, AL

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 Roanoke, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Roanoke, AL?
Yes – Roanoke, AL is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,664 in Roanoke, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,673 in Roanoke, AL.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Roanoke, AL?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $74 in Roanoke, AL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Roanoke, AL?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,443 in Roanoke, AL. That makes Medellin about 31% cheaper.
Is Medellin or Roanoke, AL more family-friendly?
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.

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