Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,365 in Union, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Union, SC

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 Union, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,365 in Union, SC, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Union, SC $2,365

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,557 in Union, SC, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Union, SC $3,557

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,749 in Union, SC, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Union, SC $4,749

Medellin is about 28% cheaper than Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Union, SC sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Union, SC by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$8.74 $8.74

-4.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$99.8 $99.8

-53.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$8.67 $8.67

9.23%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$5.69 $5.69

-44.99%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$2.20 $2.20

-19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$1.83 $1.83

-22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.76 $2.76

14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.40 $3.40

67.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.09 $1.09

40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$3.36 $3.36

-31.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$2.47 $2.47

-21.46%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$3.19 $3.19

-3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$8.90 $8.90

12.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$13.02 $13.02

-19.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$14.96 $14.96

-6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.75 $2.75

47.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.29 $1.29

18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$3.27 $3.27

-35.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$4.34 $4.34

-47.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$2.29 $2.29

-7.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.05 $2.05

-16.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.74 $1.74

-32.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.23 $1.23

28.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$8.47 $8.47

-53.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$8.77 $8.77

60.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.80 $1.80

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$5.22 $5.22

-48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$2.20 $2.20

-46.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$55.0 $55.0

38.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$2.78 $2.78

-34.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$3.07 $3.07

-30.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$35.57 $35.57

-77.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$0.95 $0.95

34.74%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$28.1K $28.1K

22.47%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$26.0K $26.0K

31.49%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$177 $177

0.69%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$63.8 $63.8

-78.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$45.59 $45.59

-32.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$40.28 $40.28

4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$11.72 $11.72

-36.26%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,537 $2,537

-68.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$32.6K $32.6K

-62.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$47.50 $47.50

81.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$20.79 $20.79

185.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$84.1 $84.1

64.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$100 $100

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,350 $1,350

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,289 $1,289

-48.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,217 $2,217

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,191 $2,191

-52.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,783 $2,783

47.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,649 $2,649

-26.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$2,430 $2,430

-73.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

173.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.5% 93.3% $622

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Union, SC

$330 13.9% 7.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Union, SC

$286 12.1% 28.6% $64

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Union, SC

$201 8.5% 16.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Union, SC

$114 4.8% 34% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Union, SC

$82 3.5% 12.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Union, SC

$64 2.7% 12% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,350 in Union, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Union, SC are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $100 in Union, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $330 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Union, SC 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Union, SC

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 Union, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Union, SC is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,548 in Union, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,350 in Union, SC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $100 in Union, SC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,365 in Union, SC. That makes Medellin about 28% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,365 in Union, SC. 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, Union, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.