Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
South Portland, ME $2,994

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $4,563 in South Portland, ME, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
South Portland, ME $4,563

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $6,131 in South Portland, ME, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
South Portland, ME $6,131

Medellin is about 47% cheaper than South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and South Portland, ME sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, South Portland, ME by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$24.56 $24.56

-67.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.4K

$120 $120

-61.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$14.81 $14.81

-36.33%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,280

$5.13 $5.13

-43.27%

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

$1.75 COP 5,586

$3.03 $3.03

-42.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,220

$2.37 $2.37

-44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,972

$7.84 $7.84

-60.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$8.06 $8.06

-31.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,496

$1.03 $1.03

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,779

$4.56 $4.56

-46.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,192

$7.23 $7.23

-77.46%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,993

$3.93 $3.93

-28.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$15.46 $15.46

-37.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$10.02 $10.02

-6.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$15.91 $15.91

-15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$5.06 $5.06

-20.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,720

$1.71 $1.71

-13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,770

$5.45 $5.45

-61.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,180

$7.38 $7.38

-69.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,093

$4.46 $4.46

-57.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,162

$3.75 $3.75

-56.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,659

$3.02 $3.02

-61.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,022

$2.52 $2.52

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$11.11 $11.11

-65.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$14.80 $14.80

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,084

$1.86 $1.86

-13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,190

$2.59 $2.59

-12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,732

$2.07 $2.07

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,057

$2.05 $2.05

-38.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,533

$1.58 $1.58

29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$11.11 $11.11

-26.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,047

$1.09 $1.09

16.51%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$36.1K $36.1K

-25.75%

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

$34.4K COP 109.7M

$25.1K $25.1K

37.01%

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

$162 COP 517.0K

$239 $239

-32.01%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$69.9 $69.9

-81.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$78.1 $78.1

-64.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.3K

$61.0 $61.0

-27.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.1K

$29.63 $29.63

-44.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$15.21 $15.21

-59.96%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$402 $402

90.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$15.2K $15.2K

-41.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$52.3 $52.3

62.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$52.3 $52.3

9.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.0K

$103 $103

27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.2K

$135 $135

-28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,933 $1,933

-46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,521 $1,521

-60.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$3,149 $3,149

-42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$2,643 $2,643

-62.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$2,801 $2,801

39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,405 $2,405

-31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$4,254 $4,254

-85.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.65

64.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7% 152% $916

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9% 54.8% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9% 90% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1% 7.5% $12

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7% 128% $213

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6% 80% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1% 61.8% $35

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 $1,933 in South Portland, ME. 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 579% higher in South Portland, ME, 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 $120 in South Portland, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $446 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

06:21 6:21 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

26,498

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin South Portland, ME 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – South Portland, ME is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $4,491 in South Portland, ME. 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 $120 in South Portland, ME. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in South Portland, ME, 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 South Portland, ME at $2,994. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Portland, ME 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, South Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.