Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $33,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
Learn more

Santa Monica, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Santa Monica, CA $4,430

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $6,581 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Santa Monica, CA $6,581

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $8,732 in Santa Monica, CA, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Santa Monica, CA $8,732

Medellin is about 64% cheaper than Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Santa Monica, CA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Santa Monica, CA by 228%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$26.77 $26.77

-70.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$118 $118

-60.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$14.88 $14.88

-36.16%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$5.93 $5.93

-47.55%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$3.26 $3.26

-43.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.40 $2.40

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$8.13 $8.13

-62.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$9.95 $9.95

-44.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.34 $1.34

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$4.57 $4.57

-48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$4.65 $4.65

-63.87%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.73 $5.73

-50.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$15.77 $15.77

-35.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$14.21 $14.21

-32.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$19.80 $19.80

-29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.76 $4.76

-14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.29 $2.29

-34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.95 $3.95

-45.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.45 $5.45

-57.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$3.31 $3.31

-41.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.83 $2.83

-42.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.14 $2.14

-47.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.48 $2.48

-49.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$11.56 $11.56

-65.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$15.25 $15.25

-12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.43 $2.43

-30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.06 $3.06

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$2.52 $2.52

-51.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$67.0 $67.0

14.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.15 $3.15

-58.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.90 $1.90

12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$32.68 $32.68

-74.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.45 $1.45

-10.34%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$36.8K $36.8K

-23.94%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$25.6K $25.6K

38.50%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$218 $218

-20.99%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$46.37 $46.37

-71.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$65.1 $65.1

-55.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$70.7 $70.7

-35.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$44.11 $44.11

-61.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$19.36 $19.36

-67.56%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,694 $1,694

-54.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$32.5K $32.5K

-72.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$88.9 $88.9

-2.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$54.8 $54.8

4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$104 $104

31.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$121 $121

-19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$3,328 $3,328

-68.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$2,860 $2,860

-78.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$5,804 $5,804

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$5,048 $5,048

-79.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$10.9K $10.9K

-62.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$7,924 $7,924

-78.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$6,900 $6,900

-90.55%

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 Santa Monica, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6% 365% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4% 56.7% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4% 53.7% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8% 2.3% $4

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3% 145% $245

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2% 3.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5% 89.2% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 958% higher in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $462 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

18:45 6:45 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

89,736

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Santa Monica, CA 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Santa Monica, 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 Santa Monica, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Monica, CA is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $6,645 in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, 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 $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA. That's a gap of about 174%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Santa Monica, CA at $4,430. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Monica, 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, Santa Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.