Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,000 in Sacramento, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

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

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,000

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,000 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $3,000
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,471 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $4,471
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,943 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $5,943
Medellin $3,186

Sacramento, CA costs about 83% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sacramento, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Sacramento, CA by 120%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 $21.12

$8.09 COP 26.1K

161.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$47.05 COP 151.7K

111.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 $12.26

$9.50 COP 30.6K

29.05%

Cappuccino

$5.19 $5.19

$3.01 COP 9,722

72.43%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.80 COP 5,801

61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.41 COP 4,554

108.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.18 COP 10.2K

146.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$5.75 COP 18.5K

36.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.51 COP 4,869

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.38 COP 7,667

74.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.77 COP 5,712

159.32%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$2.89 COP 9,320

103.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.16 $15.16

$10.19 COP 32.9K

48.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.87 COP 31.8K

53.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$13.99 COP 45.1K

32.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.97 COP 12.8K

25.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.55 COP 5,005

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.18 COP 7,039

102.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$2.18 COP 7,041

160.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.96 COP 6,328

87.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.59 COP 5,125

108.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.15 COP 3,694

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.24 COP 4,009

110.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$3.96 COP 12.8K

198.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 $14.21

$13.68 COP 44.1K

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.66 COP 5,352

56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.26 COP 7,281

61.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.17 COP 3,766

119.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100.0 $100.0

$77.4 COP 249.5K

29.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.27 COP 4,089

219.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.05 COP 6,603

-6.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.35 $25.35

$8.55 COP 27.6K

196.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.35 COP 4,343

20.00%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

1.36%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-23.13%

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

$231 $231

$170 COP 547.0K

36.06%

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

$61.0 $61.0

$13.55 COP 43.7K

350.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$28.07 COP 90.5K

145.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.12 $31.12

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.69 $40.69

$17.19 COP 55.4K

136.71%

Cinema Ticket

$17.25 $17.25

$6.91 COP 22.3K

149.64%

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

$1,532 $1,532

$797 COP 2.6M

92.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K $19.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

108.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 $60.5

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.13 $47.13

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 $93.1

$135 COP 435.2K

-31.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$97.9 COP 315.6K

33.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 $1,986

$1,208 COP 3.9M

64.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$642 COP 2.1M

132.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,109 $3,109

$2,028 COP 6.5M

53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,505 $2,505

$1,012 COP 3.3M

147.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,486 $5,486

$4,170 COP 13.4M

31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,428 $3,428

$1,910 COP 6.2M

79.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,815 $4,815

$657 COP 2.1M

632.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

10.94

-39.76%

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

Last update for Sacramento, 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

Sacramento, CA

$1.5K 49.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 57% $850

Groceries & Markets

Sacramento, CA

$463 15.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 35.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacramento, CA

$361 12%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 41.5% $150

Eating Out

Sacramento, CA

$346 11.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 51% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Sacramento, CA

$149 5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 13.3% $20

Getting Around

Sacramento, CA

$124 4.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 24.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Sacramento, CA

$66 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 12.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,986 in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento, CA are about 7.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Sacramento, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

00:15 12:15 AM

3 h ahead of Sacramento, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

524,943

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 = 3,224 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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Sacramento, CA Medellin 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Yes – Sacramento, CA is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,500 per month in Sacramento, 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 $1,986 in Sacramento, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Sacramento, 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 $3,000 in Sacramento, CA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 45% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Sacramento, CA at $3,000. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sacramento, 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, Sacramento, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.