Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,701 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,701
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,887
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $5,074 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,074
Medellin $3,190

Salt Lake City, UT costs about 67% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salt Lake City, UT and Medellin sit above the global median – Salt Lake City, UT by 100%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 $18.33

$7.93 COP 25.2K

131.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$46.13 COP 146.3K

56.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.50 COP 30.1K

6.00%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$3.11 COP 9,866

61.09%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.83 COP 5,800

22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 COP 4,360

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.05 COP 9,672

93.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$5.50 COP 17.4K

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.45 COP 4,600

-38.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.36 COP 7,496

60.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.68 COP 5,328

150.00%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$2.86 COP 9,077

46.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.19 COP 32.3K

17.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$9.53 COP 30.2K

26.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$14.04 COP 44.5K

21.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.50 COP 4,742

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.17 COP 6,891

71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.31 COP 7,310

67.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.93 COP 6,113

14.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.64 COP 5,196

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.13 COP 3,571

65.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.25 COP 3,954

48.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$3.99 COP 12.6K

151.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$13.35 COP 42.3K

10.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.70 COP 5,384

55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.37 COP 7,525

37.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.21 COP 3,827

109.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 $86.5

$76.5 COP 242.5K

13.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.32 COP 4,179

87.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 COP 6,774

10.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 $24.86

$8.47 COP 26.8K

193.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.30 COP 4,114

-11.54%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

29.97%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.55%

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

$192 $192

$172 COP 545.6K

11.42%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$13.37 COP 42.4K

269.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$28.73 COP 91.1K

173.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 $26.90

$17.04 COP 54.0K

57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$6.28 COP 19.9K

139.17%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$770 COP 2.4M

66.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

129.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-16.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 $46.19

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-19.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$137 COP 432.9K

-19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$97.9 COP 310.4K

11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$1,055 COP 3.3M

58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$616 COP 2.0M

123.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,887 $2,887

$1,892 COP 6.0M

52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$1,023 COP 3.2M

110.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$4,059 COP 12.9M

3.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$1,678 COP 5.3M

75.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 $4,197

$652 COP 2.1M

543.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

10.94

-40.95%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 55.2% $758

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 22.7% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 33% $106

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 43.5% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 11.9% $18

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 15.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 11.3% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,055 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 543% higher in Salt Lake City, UT, 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 $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

1 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Salt Lake City, UT Medellin 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
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

Salt Lake City, UT vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salt Lake City, UT is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,051 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $2,421 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT and $46.00 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 $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 67%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Salt Lake City, UT at $2,701. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salt Lake City, UT 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.