Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Topeka, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,912 in Topeka, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Topeka, KS

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,912 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Topeka, KS $1,912

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,889 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Topeka, KS $2,889

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,867 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Topeka, KS $3,867

Medellin is about 14% cheaper than Topeka, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Topeka, KS sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Topeka, KS by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$13.68 $13.68

-40.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$51.0 $51.0

-7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.09 $10.09

-5.85%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.59 $3.59

-16.16%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.37 $2.37

-24.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.71 $1.71

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.57 $4.57

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$9.15 $9.15

-37.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$0.86 $0.86

75.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.74 $2.74

-13.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$2.89 $2.89

-38.75%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.95 $3.95

-26.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.77 $8.77

16.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.70 $8.70

13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$15.10 $15.10

-7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.73 $4.73

-16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.65 $1.65

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$5.20 $5.20

-58.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.11 $4.11

-46.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$3.54 $3.54

-44.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.58 $2.58

-38.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.82 $1.82

-36.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.79 $0.79

56.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$8.83 $8.83

-55.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.03 $12.03

13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.81 $1.81

-8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.71 $1.71

32.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.02 $2.02

-42.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$49.63 $49.63

55.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.70 $2.70

-52.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.59 $1.59

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$33.59 $33.59

-74.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$0.88 $0.88

53.41%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$25.7K $25.7K

32.73%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$26.4K $26.4K

31.44%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$142 $142

19.19%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$46.56 $46.56

-70.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$64.7 $64.7

-56.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$37.70 $37.70

15.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$15.07 $15.07

14.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$13.74 $13.74

-49.71%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$439 $439

81.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$39.15 $39.15

116.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$28.48 $28.48

103.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$90.3 $90.3

49.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$79.6 $79.6

22.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$699 $699

72.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$855 $855

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,210 $1,210

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,556 $1,556

-34.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,600 $1,600

160.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,293 $1,293

47.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,678 $3,678

-82.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.24

75.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Topeka, KS

$855 44.7% 33.3% $213

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Topeka, KS

$323 16.9% 8.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Topeka, KS

$254 13.3% 20% $42

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Topeka, KS

$240 12.6% 41.7% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6% 36.8% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Topeka, KS

$68 3.6% 26.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Topeka, KS

$65 3.4% 13.3% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $699 in Topeka, KS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Topeka, KS are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $51 in Topeka, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $323 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

124,331

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 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 Topeka, KS 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Topeka, KS

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 Topeka, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Topeka, KS is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,868 in Topeka, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Topeka, KS, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $699 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $51 in Topeka, KS. 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 $1,912 in Topeka, KS. That makes Medellin about 14% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,912 in Topeka, KS, 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 $1,912 in Topeka, KS. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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