Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Rancho, NM and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,601 in Rio Rancho, NM, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Rio Rancho, NM
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Rio Rancho, NM Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Rio Rancho, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,601

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $2,601
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,835 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $3,835
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,068 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $5,068
Medellin $3,186

Rio Rancho, NM costs about 59% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio Rancho, NM and Medellin sit above the global median – Rio Rancho, NM by 91%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$8.09 COP 26.1K

113.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 $77.0

$47.05 COP 151.9K

63.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$9.50 COP 30.7K

24.84%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.01 COP 9,735

92.03%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.80 COP 5,809

56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.41 COP 4,561

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.18 COP 10.3K

90.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$5.75 COP 18.6K

19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.51 COP 4,876

-29.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.38 COP 7,678

37.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.77 COP 5,720

158.76%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$2.89 COP 9,333

48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$10.19 COP 32.9K

16.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.72 $19.72

$9.87 COP 31.9K

99.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$13.99 COP 45.2K

34.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.97 COP 12.8K

41.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.55 COP 5,012

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.18 COP 7,048

85.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.18 COP 7,051

97.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.96 COP 6,337

-44.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.59 COP 5,132

112.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.15 COP 3,699

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.24 COP 4,014

96.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.09 $11.09

$3.96 COP 12.8K

180.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.68 COP 44.2K

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.66 COP 5,359

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.26 COP 7,291

63.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.17 COP 3,771

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-23.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.27 COP 4,094

140.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.05 COP 6,612

-61.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.16 $32.16

$8.55 COP 27.6K

276.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 COP 4,349

-24.44%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-13.90%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-25.57%

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

$168 $168

$170 COP 547.8K

-0.78%

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

$44.98 $44.98

$13.55 COP 43.8K

231.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$28.07 COP 90.6K

162.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.49 $40.49

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 $18.04

$6.91 COP 22.3K

161.07%

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

$1,327 $1,327

$797 COP 2.6M

66.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K $11.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

20.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-36.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 $55.9

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 $79.0

$135 COP 435.8K

-41.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$97.9 COP 316.0K

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 $1,566

$1,208 COP 3.9M

29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$642 COP 2.1M

98.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,542 $2,542

$2,028 COP 6.5M

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 $2,106

$1,012 COP 3.3M

108.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,112 $3,112

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-25.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,995 $1,995

$1,910 COP 6.2M

4.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,871 $5,871

$657 COP 2.1M

793.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.94

-39.95%

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

Last update for Rio Rancho, NM: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio Rancho, NM

$1.3K 49.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 49.7% $634

Groceries & Markets

Rio Rancho, NM

$443 17%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 32.9% $146

Eating Out

Rio Rancho, NM

$308 11.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 44.9% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Rancho, NM

$287 11%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 26.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Rancho, NM

$137 5.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 23.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Rancho, NM

$77 2.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 24.9% $19

Getting Around

Rio Rancho, NM

$74 2.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 26.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Rio Rancho, NM 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 Rio Rancho, NM are about 8.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $443 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rio Rancho, NM

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

2 h ahead of Rio Rancho, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,660

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio Rancho, NM Medellin 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio Rancho, NM
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

Rio Rancho, NM vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio Rancho, NM is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Rio Rancho, NM 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 $1,566 in Rio Rancho, NM.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Rio Rancho, NM 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 $2,601 in Rio Rancho, NM and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 37% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Rio Rancho, NM at $2,601. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio Rancho, NM 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, Rio Rancho, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.