Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,501 in Memphis, TN, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Memphis, TN
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Memphis, TN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Memphis, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,501

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Memphis, TN and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Memphis, TN and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Memphis, TN $2,501
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,673 per month in Memphis, TN vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Memphis, TN $3,673
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Memphis, TN vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Memphis, TN $4,844
Medellin $3,190

Memphis, TN costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Memphis, TN and Medellin sit above the global median – Memphis, TN by 85%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 $17.99

$7.93 COP 25.2K

126.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$46.13 COP 146.3K

61.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$9.50 COP 30.1K

28.00%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$3.11 COP 9,866

82.64%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$1.83 COP 5,800

31.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.38 COP 4,360

44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.05 COP 9,672

133.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.50 COP 17.4K

46.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.45 COP 4,600

-35.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.36 COP 7,496

33.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.68 COP 5,328

135.71%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.86 COP 9,077

31.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.19 COP 32.3K

29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$9.53 COP 30.2K

20.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.84 $18.84

$14.04 COP 44.5K

34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$4.07 COP 12.9K

39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.50 COP 4,742

14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.17 COP 6,891

163.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.31 COP 7,310

115.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.93 COP 6,113

62.69%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.64 COP 5,196

154.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.13 COP 3,571

133.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.25 COP 3,954

72.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 $10.87

$3.99 COP 12.6K

172.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 $12.94

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.70 COP 5,384

3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.37 COP 7,525

-32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.21 COP 3,827

-15.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.55 $38.55

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-49.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.32 COP 4,179

53.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.14 COP 6,774

-34.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.36 $20.36

$8.47 COP 26.8K

140.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.30 COP 4,114

-21.54%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

33.44%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-23.52%

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

$187 $187

$172 COP 545.6K

8.75%

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

$86.3 $86.3

$13.37 COP 42.4K

545.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$28.73 COP 91.1K

163.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.47 $31.47

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-30.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 $16.62

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-2.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$6.28 COP 19.9K

135.03%

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

$1,720 $1,720

$770 COP 2.4M

123.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

175.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 $47.08

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-45.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 $33.58

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-41.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 $82.2

$137 COP 432.9K

-39.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$97.9 COP 310.4K

58.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$1,055 COP 3.3M

37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 $1,175

$616 COP 2.0M

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$1,892 COP 6.0M

9.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,023 COP 3.2M

85.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 $1,755

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-56.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,351 $1,351

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-19.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,523 $3,523

$652 COP 2.1M

440.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

10.94

-39.67%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Memphis, TN

$1.2K 47%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 47.6% $559

Groceries & Markets

Memphis, TN

$404 16.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 27% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Memphis, TN

$349 14%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 38.7% $135

Eating Out

Memphis, TN

$318 12.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 47% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Memphis, TN

$143 5.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 18.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Memphis, TN

$61 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 5.2% $3.2

Getting Around

Memphis, TN

$52 2.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 80.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,448 in Memphis, TN versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 440% higher in Memphis, TN, 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 $74.0 in Memphis, TN versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Memphis, TN

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

Same time as Memphis, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

633,104

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Memphis, TN Medellin 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Memphis, TN
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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

Memphis, TN vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Memphis, TN is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,752 per month in Memphis, TN and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 $74.0 in Memphis, TN and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,501 in Memphis, TN and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 55%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Memphis, TN at $2,501. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Memphis, TN 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, Memphis, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.