Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Urbandale, IA $2,310

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $3,374 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Urbandale, IA $3,374

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $4,437 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Medellin is about 30% cheaper than Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Urbandale, IA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Urbandale, IA by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$14.86 $14.86

-44.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$50.9 $50.9

-7.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.96 $9.96

-7.23%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.97 $4.97

-38.63%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.21 $1.21

48.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.99 $0.99

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$5.15 $5.15

-37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$7.58 $7.58

-26.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.01 $1.01

48.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$3.25 $3.25

-27.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$3.84 $3.84

-55.73%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.05 $2.05

44.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$14.07 $14.07

-27.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.88 $9.88

-1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$13.88 $13.88

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.21 $3.21

28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.61 $1.61

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.47 $3.47

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.29 $3.29

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$3.09 $3.09

-35.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$3.37 $3.37

-50.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.14 $2.14

-44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$2.10 $2.10

-40.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$8.16 $8.16

-52.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$12.04 $12.04

14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.82 $1.82

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.87 $1.87

28.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$2.05 $2.05

-39.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$66.0 $66.0

18.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.46 $2.46

-47.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.20 $1.20

79.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$60.2 $60.2

-86.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.98 $0.98

37.76%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$34.6K $34.6K

0.58%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$25.6K $25.6K

35.37%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$140 $140

19.32%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$14.79 $14.79

-7.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$25.01 $25.01

16.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$35.57 $35.57

26.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$20.34 $20.34

-15.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$14.81 $14.81

-52.94%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$1,164 $1,164

-32.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$20.7K $20.7K

-56.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$61.3 $61.3

43.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$21.96 $21.96

164.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$45.54 $45.54

205.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$75.1 $75.1

31.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$933 $933

10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,290 $1,290

-51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,237 $1,237

52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,164 $2,164

-53.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,777 $2,777

43.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$2,710 $2,710

-37.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$3,637 $3,637

-81.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.56

66.77%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 108% $671

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 14.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 14.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 46.9% $81

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 51.1% $87

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 13.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 10.5% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $933 in Urbandale, 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 448% higher in Urbandale, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $342 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

45,580

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Urbandale, IA 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Urbandale, 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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Urbandale, IA is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $3,465 in Urbandale, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $2,310 in Urbandale, IA. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Urbandale, IA at $2,310. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Urbandale, 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.

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, Urbandale, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.