Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ontario, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,259 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,259

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,259 per month in Ontario, CA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Ontario, CA $3,259
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,446 per month in Ontario, CA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Ontario, CA $4,446
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,634 per month in Ontario, CA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Ontario, CA $5,634
Medellin $3,186

Ontario, CA costs about 99% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ontario, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Ontario, CA by 139%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$8.09 COP 26.1K

149.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$47.05 COP 151.9K

62.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 $14.80

$9.50 COP 30.7K

55.79%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.01 COP 9,735

94.68%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$1.80 COP 5,809

77.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.41 COP 4,561

67.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.18 COP 10.3K

122.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 $9.62

$5.75 COP 18.6K

67.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.51 COP 4,876

-27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.38 COP 7,678

73.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.77 COP 5,720

165.54%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$2.89 COP 9,333

63.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.19 COP 32.9K

29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$13.99 COP 45.2K

9.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.97 COP 12.8K

15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.55 COP 5,012

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.18 COP 7,048

87.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.18 COP 7,051

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.96 COP 6,337

83.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.59 COP 5,132

41.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.15 COP 3,699

72.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.24 COP 4,014

55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.01 $12.01

$3.96 COP 12.8K

203.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.68 COP 44.2K

9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.66 COP 5,359

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.26 COP 7,291

89.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.17 COP 3,771

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 $45.16

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-41.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 $6.38

$1.27 COP 4,094

402.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.35 COP 4,349

7.41%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-14.78%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-22.15%

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

$216 $216

$170 COP 547.8K

27.28%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$13.55 COP 43.8K

406.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$28.07 COP 90.6K

125.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.73 $47.73

$43.70 COP 141.1K

9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 $29.40

$17.19 COP 55.5K

71.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$6.91 COP 22.3K

157.02%

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

$1,169 $1,169

$797 COP 2.6M

46.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-30.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 $40.06

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-30.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 $93.6

$135 COP 435.8K

-30.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$97.9 COP 316.0K

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 $1,829

$1,208 COP 3.9M

51.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,891 $1,891

$642 COP 2.1M

194.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,154 $3,154

$2,028 COP 6.5M

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 $2,621

$1,012 COP 3.3M

159.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,369 $4,369

$4,170 COP 13.5M

4.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,557 $3,557

$1,910 COP 6.2M

86.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,635 $3,635

$657 COP 2.1M

453.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.94

-41.59%

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: 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

Ontario, CA

$1.9K 58%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 66.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$391 12%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 24% $94

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$353 10.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 52% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$348 10.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 39.3% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 26.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$83 2.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 30.9% $26

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$59 * 1.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 57.3% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,829 in Ontario, CA 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 Ontario, CA are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Ontario, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

11:13 11:13 AM

3 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Ontario, CA Medellin 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Ontario, CA
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

Ontario, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ontario, CA is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,888 per month in Ontario, CA 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 Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,829 in Ontario, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Ontario, CA 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 $3,259 in Ontario, CA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 50% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Ontario, CA at $3,259. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ontario, CA 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ontario, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.