Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salina, KS and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,997 in Salina, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Salina, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$1,997
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Salina, KS $1,997
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Salina, KS $2,997
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,997 per month in Salina, KS vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Salina, KS $3,997
  • Medellin $3,199

Salina, KS costs about 23% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salina, KS and Medellin sit above the global median – Salina, KS by 47%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.03 $15.03
$8.30 COP 26.3K
81.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.89 $41.89
$46.91 COP 148.7K
-10.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.28 $9.28
$9.24 COP 29.3K
0.43%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$3.05 COP 9,676
79.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.80 COP 5,707
14.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.38 COP 4,382
25.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.09 $5.09
$3.24 COP 10.3K
57.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.21 $9.21
$5.56 COP 17.6K
65.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.50 COP 4,760
-36.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 $3.17
$2.37 COP 7,508
33.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.27 $6.27
$1.70 COP 5,377
268.82%
Eggs
$4.69 $4.69
$2.96 COP 9,379
58.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.78 $11.78
$10.22 COP 32.4K
15.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 $8.65
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-11.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.60 $14.60
$13.90 COP 44.1K
5.04%
Apples (1kg)
$6.90 $6.90
$4.13 COP 13.1K
67.07%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.53 COP 4,839
41.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.78 $5.78
$2.22 COP 7,052
160.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$2.27 COP 7,194
82.82%
Potato (1kg)
$3.45 $3.45
$1.99 COP 6,311
73.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$1.67 COP 5,285
130.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.18 COP 3,742
53.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.24 COP 3,919
66.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 $7.96
$3.87 COP 12.3K
105.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.31 $17.31
$13.78 COP 43.7K
25.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.66 COP 5,256
10.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.40 COP 7,615
7.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.24 COP 3,944
62.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.08 $25.08
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-67.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.10 $5.10
$1.28 COP 4,044
298.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 $1.27
$2.15 COP 6,803
-40.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.35 $35.35
$8.37 COP 26.5K
322.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.35 COP 4,288
-33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K $24.6K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-29.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K $25.4K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-26.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$145 $145
$167 COP 528.4K
-12.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$47.14 $47.14
$13.62 COP 43.2K
246.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$29.12 COP 92.3K
123.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.86 $41.86
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-7.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.08 $34.08
$17.18 COP 54.5K
98.37%
Cinema Ticket
$14.87 $14.87
$6.97 COP 22.1K
113.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$822 $822
$790 COP 2.5M
4.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,761 $9,761
$9,041 COP 28.7M
7.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.15 $48.15
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-45.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.46 $34.46
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-40.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.2 $76.2
$139 COP 440.7K
-45.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$98.9 COP 313.5K
19.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$762 $762
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-25.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$828 $828
$620 COP 2.0M
33.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,298 $1,298
$1,881 COP 6.0M
-30.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,476 $1,476
$1,008 COP 3.2M
46.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,417 $1,417
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-64.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,697 $1,697
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-0.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salina, KS
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,030 $3,030
$663 COP 2.1M
356.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.37
10.94
-41.77%

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

Last update for Salina, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Salina, KS
$828
Medellin
$619 25.2% $208
Groceries & Markets
Salina, KS
$398
Medellin
$298 25.1% $100
Eating Out
Salina, KS
$273
Medellin
$171 37.4% $102
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salina, KS
$257
Medellin
$209 18.7% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Salina, KS
$125
Medellin
$173 38.6% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Salina, KS
$72
Medellin
$59 17.6% $13
Getting Around
Salina, KS
$45
Medellin
$95 113% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $762 in Salina, KS versus $1,028 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 run about 357% higher in Salina, KS, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Salina, KS versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $398 in Salina, KS vs $298 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Salina, KS
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
17:33 5:33 PM
17:33 5:33 PM
Same time as Salina, KS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,707
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Salina, KS Medellin 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Salina, KS
  • 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
Salina, KS vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Salina, KS?
Yes – Salina, KS is pricier by about 23%, 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 $2,995 per month in Salina, KS and $2,437 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Salina, KS or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Salina, KS and $47.00 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 Salina, KS and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,997 in Salina, KS and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 23%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Salina, KS or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Salina, KS at $1,997. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salina, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Salina, KS 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salina, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Salina, KS vs other spots: cost of living compared

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