Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oak Lawn, IL and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,495 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oak Lawn, IL, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Oak Lawn, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,495
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,495 per month in Oak Lawn, IL vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Oak Lawn, IL $2,495
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,510 per month in Oak Lawn, IL vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Oak Lawn, IL $3,510
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,525 per month in Oak Lawn, IL vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Oak Lawn, IL $4,525
  • Medellin $3,186

Oak Lawn, IL costs about 52% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Oak Lawn, IL and Medellin sit above the global median – Oak Lawn, IL by 83%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.09 $15.09
$8.09 COP 25.4K
86.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.1 $62.1
$47.05 COP 148.0K
31.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.23 $8.23
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-13.37%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$3.01 COP 9,485
84.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.80 COP 5,660
20.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.41 COP 4,443
-19.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.35 $5.35
$3.18 COP 9,990
68.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 $4.94
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-14.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.51 COP 4,751
-37.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.38 COP 7,480
1.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.38 $3.38
$1.77 COP 5,573
90.96%
Eggs
$3.86 $3.86
$2.89 COP 9,093
33.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.92 $10.92
$10.19 COP 32.1K
7.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.70 $8.70
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-11.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.09 $13.09
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-6.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 $3.33
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-16.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.55 COP 4,883
25.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.18 COP 6,867
50.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.18 COP 6,870
50.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.96 COP 6,174
14.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.59 COP 5,000
-29.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.15 COP 3,604
78.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.24 COP 3,911
57.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.92 $9.92
$3.96 COP 12.5K
150.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.09 $10.09
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-26.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.66 COP 5,221
24.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$2.26 COP 7,103
49.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.17 COP 3,674
66.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.7 $59.7
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-22.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.64 $5.64
$1.27 COP 3,989
344.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.05 COP 6,442
42.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.65 $17.65
$8.55 COP 26.9K
106.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.35 COP 4,237
-14.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.5K $15.5K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-54.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K $26.9K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-22.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$170 COP 533.7K
31.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.3 $53.3
$13.55 COP 42.6K
293.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.9 $64.9
$28.07 COP 88.3K
131.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.21 $39.21
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-10.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 $9.60
$6.91 COP 21.7K
38.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,466 $1,466
$797 COP 2.5M
84.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K $12.6K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
38.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.93 $45.93
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-45.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.71 $24.71
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-57.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$57.3 $57.3
$135 COP 424.6K
-57.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.3 $50.3
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-48.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 $1,533
$1,208 COP 3.8M
26.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,351 $1,351
$642 COP 2.0M
110.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,706 $2,706
$2,028 COP 6.4M
33.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,100 $2,100
$1,012 COP 3.2M
107.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,841 $2,841
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-31.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,078 $2,078
$1,910 COP 6.0M
8.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oak Lawn, IL
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
10.94
-37.66%

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

Last update for Oak Lawn, IL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oak Lawn, IL
$1.4K
Medellin
$642 52.5% $709
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oak Lawn, IL
$342
Medellin
$211 38.2% $131
Groceries & Markets
Oak Lawn, IL
$314
Medellin
$297 5.3% $17
Eating Out
Oak Lawn, IL
$262
Medellin
$170 35.3% $92
Getting Around
Oak Lawn, IL
$88
Medellin
$94 6.6% $5.8
Clothing & Footwear
Oak Lawn, IL
$80
Medellin
$169 111% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Oak Lawn, IL
$58
Medellin
$58 1.5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Oak Lawn, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Oak Lawn, IL versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Oak Lawn, IL
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
15:50 3:50 PM
15:50 3:50 PM
Same time as Oak Lawn, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,362
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oak Lawn, IL Medellin 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oak Lawn, 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
Oak Lawn, IL vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Oak Lawn, IL?
Yes – Oak Lawn, IL is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,743 per month in Oak Lawn, IL and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,533 in Oak Lawn, IL.
Is eating out cheaper in Oak Lawn, IL or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Oak Lawn, IL and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Oak Lawn, IL and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,495 in Oak Lawn, IL and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 34% cheaper.
Is Oak Lawn, IL or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.

Oak Lawn, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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