Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phoenix, AZ and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,815 in Phoenix, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Phoenix, AZ
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Phoenix, AZ Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Phoenix, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,815 per month in Phoenix, AZ vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Phoenix, AZ $2,815
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,082 per month in Phoenix, AZ vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Phoenix, AZ $4,082
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,348 per month in Phoenix, AZ vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Phoenix, AZ $5,348
Medellin $3,186

Phoenix, AZ costs about 72% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phoenix, AZ and Medellin sit above the global median – Phoenix, AZ by 107%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$8.09 COP 26.1K

144.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 $86.5

$47.05 COP 151.7K

83.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 $14.23

$9.50 COP 30.6K

49.79%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.01 COP 9,722

101.66%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.80 COP 5,801

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.41 COP 4,554

73.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.18 COP 10.2K

85.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.75 COP 18.5K

36.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.51 COP 4,869

-48.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.38 COP 7,667

65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.77 COP 5,712

249.15%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$2.89 COP 9,320

51.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$10.19 COP 32.9K

37.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$9.87 COP 31.8K

30.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$13.99 COP 45.1K

4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.97 COP 12.8K

37.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.55 COP 5,005

22.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.18 COP 7,039

95.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.18 COP 7,041

173.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.96 COP 6,328

87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.59 COP 5,125

97.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.15 COP 3,694

96.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.24 COP 4,009

114.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 $11.17

$3.96 COP 12.8K

182.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 $14.12

$13.68 COP 44.1K

3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.66 COP 5,352

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.26 COP 7,281

30.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.17 COP 3,766

68.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 $62.7

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-18.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.27 COP 4,089

122.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.05 COP 6,603

-30.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.63 $36.63

$8.55 COP 27.6K

328.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.35 COP 4,343

-11.85%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

7.66%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-22.99%

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

$233 $233

$170 COP 547.0K

37.52%

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

$77.7 $77.7

$13.55 COP 43.7K

473.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$28.07 COP 90.5K

168.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 $56.5

$43.70 COP 140.9K

29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 $19.46

$17.19 COP 55.4K

13.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 $13.71

$6.91 COP 22.3K

98.41%

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

$1,644 $1,644

$797 COP 2.6M

106.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

154.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-28.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.42 $46.42

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$135 COP 435.2K

-23.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$97.9 COP 315.6K

30.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,755 $1,755

$1,208 COP 3.9M

45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 $1,341

$642 COP 2.1M

108.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 $3,082

$2,028 COP 6.5M

52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$1,012 COP 3.3M

107.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,507 $4,507

$4,170 COP 13.4M

8.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 $2,990

$1,910 COP 6.2M

56.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,196 $4,196

$657 COP 2.1M

538.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

10.94

-39.40%

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

Last update for Phoenix, AZ: 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

Phoenix, AZ

$1.3K 47.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 52.1% $699

Groceries & Markets

Phoenix, AZ

$430 15.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 30.9% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phoenix, AZ

$386 13.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 45.3% $175

Eating Out

Phoenix, AZ

$342 12.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 50.4% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Phoenix, AZ

$152 5.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 11.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phoenix, AZ

$84 3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 31.5% $26

Getting Around

Phoenix, AZ

$81 2.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 16.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,755 in Phoenix, AZ 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 Phoenix, AZ are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Phoenix, AZ versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Phoenix, AZ

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

2 h ahead of Phoenix, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,608,139

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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Phoenix, AZ Medellin 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phoenix, AZ
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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

Phoenix, AZ vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phoenix, AZ is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,223 per month in Phoenix, AZ 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 $1,755 in Phoenix, AZ.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Phoenix, AZ 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 $2,815 in Phoenix, AZ and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 42% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Phoenix, AZ at $2,815. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phoenix, AZ 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, Phoenix, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.