Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Normal, IL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,272 in Normal, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Normal, IL
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Normal, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Normal, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,272

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,272 per month in Normal, IL vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Normal, IL $2,272
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,329 per month in Normal, IL vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Normal, IL $3,329
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,386 per month in Normal, IL vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Normal, IL $4,386
Medellin $3,186

Normal, IL costs about 39% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Normal, IL and Medellin sit above the global median – Normal, IL by 67%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 $11.32

$8.09 COP 26.1K

39.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.63 $49.63

$47.05 COP 151.8K

5.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$9.50 COP 30.7K

3.47%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.01 COP 9,729

66.78%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$1.80 COP 5,806

90.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.41 COP 4,558

7.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.18 COP 10.2K

59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 $5.83

$5.75 COP 18.6K

1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.51 COP 4,873

-50.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.38 COP 7,673

10.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.77 COP 5,716

85.88%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$2.89 COP 9,327

30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 $8.90

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-12.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.87 COP 31.9K

29.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.79 $18.79

$13.99 COP 45.1K

34.31%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$3.97 COP 12.8K

67.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.55 COP 5,009

-20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.18 COP 7,044

205.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.18 COP 7,047

130.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.96 COP 6,333

65.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.59 COP 5,129

101.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.15 COP 3,696

73.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.24 COP 4,012

85.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 $11.32

$3.96 COP 12.8K

185.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 $10.99

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.66 COP 5,356

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.26 COP 7,286

34.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.17 COP 3,769

116.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 $91.1

$77.4 COP 249.7K

17.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.27 COP 4,092

338.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.05 COP 6,608

-49.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.02 $18.02

$8.55 COP 27.6K

110.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.35 COP 4,346

-34.07%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.1K COP 109.9M

-18.19%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-23.90%

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

$273 $273

$170 COP 547.5K

60.94%

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

$97.9 $97.9

$13.55 COP 43.7K

622.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$28.07 COP 90.6K

130.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 $39.33

$43.70 COP 141.0K

-10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 $11.76

$6.91 COP 22.3K

70.19%

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

$1,061 $1,061

$797 COP 2.6M

33.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.92 $29.92

$84.7 COP 273.4K

-64.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.57 $40.57

$58.0 COP 187.0K

-30.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 $66.5

$135 COP 435.5K

-50.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$97.9 COP 315.8K

53.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 $974

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 $905

$642 COP 2.1M

41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$1,012 COP 3.3M

56.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,690 $9,690

$4,170 COP 13.5M

132.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,164 $4,164

$657 COP 2.1M

533.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

10.94

-40.13%

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

Last update for Normal, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Normal, IL

$905 39.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 29.1% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Normal, IL

$436 19.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 51.5% $224

Groceries & Markets

Normal, IL

$390 17.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 23.9% $93

Eating Out

Normal, IL

$237 10.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 28.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Normal, IL

$129 5.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 30.8% $40

Getting Around

Normal, IL

$112 4.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 16.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Normal, IL

$63 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 8.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $974 in Normal, IL versus $1,208 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 in Normal, IL are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Normal, IL versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Normal, IL

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

20:07 8:07 PM

1 h ahead of Normal, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,497

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Normal, IL Medellin 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Normal, IL
Medellin

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

Normal, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Normal, IL is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,408 per month in Normal, IL and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Normal, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $974 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Normal, IL and $47 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 $2,272 in Normal, IL and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 28% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,272 in Normal, IL and $1,639 in Medellin, 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 $2,272 in Normal, IL. 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, Normal, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.