Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Dimas, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in San Dimas, CA
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San Dimas, CA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
San Dimas, CA $2,562

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $3,689 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
San Dimas, CA $3,689

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $4,816 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
San Dimas, CA $4,816

Medellin is about 38% cheaper than San Dimas, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and San Dimas, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, San Dimas, CA by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$12.15 $12.15

-34.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.4K

$50.7 $50.7

-8.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$9.15 $9.15

3.06%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,280

$5.85 $5.85

-50.26%

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

$1.75 COP 5,586

$3.42 $3.42

-48.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,220

$2.38 $2.38

-44.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,972

$7.58 $7.58

-58.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$8.08 $8.08

-31.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,496

$1.04 $1.04

35.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,779

$4.00 $4.00

-39.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,192

$4.85 $4.85

-66.39%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,993

$4.65 $4.65

-39.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$12.87 $12.87

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$20.05 $20.05

-53.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$15.40 $15.40

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$4.92 $4.92

-18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,720

$1.67 $1.67

-11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,770

$5.46 $5.46

-61.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,180

$5.91 $5.91

-61.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,093

$3.73 $3.73

-48.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,162

$2.31 $2.31

-29.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,659

$2.03 $2.03

-43.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,022

$1.92 $1.92

-34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$11.86 $11.86

-67.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$15.21 $15.21

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,084

$1.98 $1.98

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,190

$4.26 $4.26

-46.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,732

$2.00 $2.00

-41.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,057

$6.21 $6.21

-79.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,533

$1.71 $1.71

19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$33.65 $33.65

-75.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,047

$1.52 $1.52

-16.45%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$36.6K $36.6K

-26.80%

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

$34.4K COP 109.7M

$27.5K $27.5K

25.32%

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

$162 COP 517.0K

$170 $170

-4.72%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$66.2 $66.2

-80.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$60.5 $60.5

-53.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.3K

$41.71 $41.71

6.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$14.96 $14.96

-59.29%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$1,917 $1,917

-60.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$25.6K $25.6K

-65.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$58.4 $58.4

45.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$39.64 $39.64

45.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.0K

$93.2 $93.2

41.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.2K

$145 $145

-33.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,593 $1,593

-35.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,470 $1,470

-58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$2,483 $2,483

-27.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$2,341 $2,341

-57.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$2,666 $2,666

47.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,437 $2,437

-32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$3,989 $3,989

-84.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.39

71.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

San Dimas, CA

$1.5K 53.6% 143% $865

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

San Dimas, CA

$455 16.6% 57.8% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

San Dimas, CA

$297 10.8% 46% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

San Dimas, CA

$151 5.5% 9.2% $15

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

San Dimas, CA

$272 9.9% 63.6% $106

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

San Dimas, CA

$23 * 0.8% 75.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.6% 26.8% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,593 in San Dimas, CA. 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 537% higher in San Dimas, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $51.0 in San Dimas, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $455 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

21:50 9:50 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

35,714

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,572 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin San Dimas, CA 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Dimas, 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 San Dimas, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Dimas, CA is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $3,843 in San Dimas, 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $51.0 in San Dimas, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in San Dimas, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in San Dimas, CA at $2,562. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Dimas, CA 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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