Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sioux City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,168 in Sioux City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,168 in Sioux City, IA, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Sioux City, IA $2,168

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,305 in Sioux City, IA, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Sioux City, IA $3,305

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,442 in Sioux City, IA, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Sioux City, IA $4,442

Medellin is about 26% cheaper than Sioux City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Sioux City, IA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sioux City, IA by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$20.33 $20.33

-60.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$56.0 $56.0

-17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.65 $10.65

-10.80%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$6.14 $6.14

-49.35%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.11 $2.11

-13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.77 $1.77

-22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.07 $5.07

-39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$5.61 $5.61

-1.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.87 $0.87

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.92 $2.92

-19.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.38 $3.38

-50.30%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.60 $3.60

-20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.92 $7.92

28.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.58 $7.58

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$16.77 $16.77

-16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.74 $4.74

-14.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.52 $1.52

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.02 $4.02

-46.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.96 $3.96

-41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.99 $1.99

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$4.87 $4.87

-66.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.38 $2.38

-52.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.13 $2.13

-41.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$8.94 $8.94

-55.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$15.12 $15.12

-11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.70 $1.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.08 $3.08

-23.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.77 $1.77

-31.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$47.88 $47.88

59.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.97 $1.97

-32.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.20 $1.20

78.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$19.61 $19.61

-56.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.91 $0.91

42.86%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$35.4K $35.4K

-20.91%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$25.0K $25.0K

41.41%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$167 $167

3.25%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$52.4 $52.4

-74.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$69.0 $69.0

-58.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$98.8 $98.8

-54.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$20.08 $20.08

-15.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$15.05 $15.05

-58.27%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,098 $1,098

-29.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.0K $12.0K

-24.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$43.40 $43.40

99.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$21.73 $21.73

162.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$77.2 $77.2

76.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$89.3 $89.3

9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$923 $923

14.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$922 $922

-33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,481 $1,481

27.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,743 $1,743

-41.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,546 $1,546

162.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,546 $1,546

8.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,592 $3,592

-81.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.57

66.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Sioux City, IA

$922 42.5% 49.7% $306

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Sioux City, IA

$342 15.8% 16.1% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Sioux City, IA

$288 13.3% 34.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.8% 38.7% $66

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Sioux City, IA

$320 14.8% 90.2% $152

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9% 32.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9% 123% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $923 in Sioux City, IA. 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 451% higher in Sioux City, IA, 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 $56.0 in Sioux City, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $342 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

85,797

💱 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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Medellin Sioux City, IA 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sioux City, IA is pricier by about 34%, 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 $3,252 in Sioux City, IA. 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 $56.0 in Sioux City, IA. 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 $2,168 in Sioux City, IA. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Sioux City, IA at $2,168. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sioux City, IA 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.

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