Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Rafael, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
238

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

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
San Rafael, CA $4,929

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $6,391 in San Rafael, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
San Rafael, CA $6,391

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $7,853 in San Rafael, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
San Rafael, CA $7,853

Medellin is about 67% cheaper than San Rafael, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and San Rafael, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, San Rafael, CA by 265%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$24.68 $24.68

-67.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$120 $120

-61.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$12.05 $12.05

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.74 $4.74

-34.39%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$3.03 $3.03

-39.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.93 $2.93

-52.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.38 $5.38

-43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.98 $6.98

-21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.42 $1.42

2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$4.51 $4.51

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$9.69 $9.69

-82.66%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.42 $5.42

-47.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$23.21 $23.21

-56.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$15.45 $15.45

-38.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$18.15 $18.15

-22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$7.63 $7.63

-46.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.93 $2.93

-48.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$6.29 $6.29

-65.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$8.58 $8.58

-73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$5.89 $5.89

-67.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$5.44 $5.44

-69.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$3.07 $3.07

-63.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$3.89 $3.89

-67.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$10.85 $10.85

-63.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.96 $12.96

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.23 $2.23

-23.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.99 $2.99

-20.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$2.05 $2.05

-40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$65.7 $65.7

16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$4.10 $4.10

-67.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$4.44 $4.44

-51.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$28.84 $28.84

-70.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.44 $1.44

-9.72%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$32.0K $32.0K

-12.65%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$26.4K $26.4K

33.96%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$253 $253

-32.10%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$85.4 $85.4

-84.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$61.3 $61.3

-53.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$124 $124

-63.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$30.21 $30.21

-43.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$13.14 $13.14

-52.21%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$2,088 $2,088

-63.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$25.1K $25.1K

-64.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$59.7 $59.7

44.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$42.92 $42.92

33.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$96.8 $96.8

41.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$126 $126

-22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$3,074 $3,074

-65.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$3,202 $3,202

-80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$4,278 $4,278

-55.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$3,860 $3,860

-73.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$7,456 $7,456

-45.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$5,281 $5,281

-68.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$7,077 $7,077

-90.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.62

65.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65% 420% $2.6K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7% 95.3% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1% 86.8% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

San Rafael, CA

$147 3% 13.8% $23

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2% 111% $187

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

San Rafael, CA

$100 2% 7.3% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

San Rafael, CA

$150 3% 160% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $3,074 in San Rafael, 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 985% higher in San Rafael, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $120 in San Rafael, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $575 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

13:33 1:33 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

58,704

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin San Rafael, CA 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Rafael, CA is pricier by about 205%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $7,394 in San Rafael, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $120 in San Rafael, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $4,929 in San Rafael, CA. That's a gap of about 205%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in San Rafael, CA at $4,929. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.