Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Francisco

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in San Francisco: $1,639 and $1,668 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Francisco

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,668 in San Francisco, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
San Francisco $1,668

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,674 in San Francisco, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
San Francisco $2,674

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,680 in San Francisco, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
San Francisco $3,680

Medellin is about 2% cheaper than San Francisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and San Francisco sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, San Francisco by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$10.03 ₡4,524

-19.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$61.7 ₡27.8K

-23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$11.13 ₡5,024

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$4.56 ₡2,058

-33.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.29 ₡584

39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.71 ₡774

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$3.37 ₡1,520

-5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.48 ₡2,020

28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.43 ₡1,095

-37.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.03 ₡1,367

-21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.39 ₡1,079

-25.94%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.44 ₡1,553

-15.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$10.88 ₡4,911

-6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$10.40 ₡4,691

-5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$13.82 ₡6,237

1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$5.21 ₡2,353

-23.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.65 ₡745

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$4.79 ₡2,160

-54.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$3.87 ₡1,744

-43.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.92 ₡1,770

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$3.74 ₡1,689

-57.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.09 ₡491

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$3.10 ₡1,401

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$5.82 ₡2,625

-31.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$19.69 ₡8,883

-30.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.85 ₡1,286

-41.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.55 ₡1,600

-36.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.37 ₡620

-14.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$65.9 ₡29.7K

17.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.74 ₡787

-27.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.62 ₡730

26.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$8.88 ₡4,008

-3.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.53 ₡689

-11.76%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$34.0K ₡15.3M

0.18%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$42.8K ₡19.3M

-19.07%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$76.4 ₡34.5K

122.20%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$32.60 ₡14.7K

-58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$48.89 ₡22.1K

-42.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$68.8 ₡31.0K

-36.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.52 ₡3,394

-8.11%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$989 ₡446.2K

-19.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-46.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$70.4 ₡31.8K

20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$56.9 ₡25.7K

1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$65.6 ₡29.6K

105.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$54.7 ₡24.7K

79.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$799 ₡360.4K

51.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$628 ₡283.3K

2.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,905 ₡859.4K

6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,287 ₡580.8K

-21.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$895 ₡404.0K

-26.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.62

26.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Francisco: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

San Francisco

$628 37.6% 2.1% $14

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

San Francisco

$400 24% 34.7% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

San Francisco

$158 9.5% 25.3% $53

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

San Francisco

$206 12.4% 21.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

San Francisco

$111 6.7% 34.1% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

San Francisco

$81 4.9% 13.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

San Francisco

$84 5% 45.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $799 in San Francisco. 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 36% higher in San Francisco. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $62 in San Francisco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $400 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

55,923

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin San Francisco 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Francisco

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 Francisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Francisco is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,503 in San Francisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Francisco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $799 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $62 in San Francisco. 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 $1,668 in San Francisco. That’s a gap of about 2%.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,668 in San Francisco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,668 in San Francisco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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