Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $4,607 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

223

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,607

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,607 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,607
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $6,460 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,460
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $8,313 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,313
Medellin $3,186

San Mateo, CA costs about 181% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Mateo, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – San Mateo, CA by 238%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$8.09 COP 25.4K

151.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$47.05 COP 148.0K

114.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$9.50 COP 29.9K

35.68%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.01 COP 9,485

92.69%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.80 COP 5,660

68.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.41 COP 4,443

99.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 $8.35

$3.18 COP 9,990

162.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$5.75 COP 18.1K

76.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.51 COP 4,751

8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$5.95 $5.95

$2.38 COP 7,480

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$1.77 COP 5,573

251.98%

Eggs

$7.45 $7.45

$2.89 COP 9,093

157.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$10.19 COP 32.1K

33.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.53 $18.53

$9.87 COP 31.1K

87.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.67 $19.67

$13.99 COP 44.0K

40.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.97 COP 12.5K

49.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.55 COP 4,883

45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.18 COP 6,867

86.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$2.18 COP 6,870

292.66%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.96 COP 6,174

123.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.59 COP 5,000

100.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.15 COP 3,604

162.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.24 COP 3,911

56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 $11.76

$3.96 COP 12.5K

196.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 $14.52

$13.68 COP 43.0K

6.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.66 COP 5,221

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.26 COP 7,103

-11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.17 COP 3,674

88.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-16.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.27 COP 3,989

233.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.35 COP 4,237

14.81%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-19.43%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-24.44%

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

$268 $268

$170 COP 533.7K

57.77%

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

$41.40 $41.40

$13.55 COP 42.6K

205.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$28.07 COP 88.3K

116.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 $81.3

$43.70 COP 137.5K

85.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.60 $9.60

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-44.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$6.91 COP 21.7K

157.60%

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

$3,045 $3,045

$797 COP 2.5M

282.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K $28.6K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

214.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 $62.0

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.94 $45.94

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-20.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$135 COP 424.6K

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$97.9 COP 307.9K

39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 $3,414

$1,208 COP 3.8M

182.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,991 $2,991

$642 COP 2.0M

366.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,766 $5,766

$2,028 COP 6.4M

184.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,683 $4,683

$1,012 COP 3.2M

362.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,613 $9,613

$4,170 COP 13.1M

130.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,493 $8,493

$1,910 COP 6.0M

344.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,661 $7,661

$657 COP 2.1M

1065.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

10.94

-40.31%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$3K 64.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 78.6% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$522 11.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 43.1% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$370 8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 42.9% $159

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$356 7.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 52.4% $187

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 3.5% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$117 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 50.8% $59

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$88 1.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 6.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,414 in San Mateo, 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 San Mateo, CA are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in San Mateo, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

2 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Mateo, CA Medellin 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Mateo, CA
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

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

Yes – San Mateo, CA is pricier by about 181%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,910 per month in San Mateo, 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 $3,414 in San Mateo, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in San Mateo, 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 $4,607 in San Mateo, CA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 64% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in San Mateo, CA at $4,607. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Mateo, 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, San Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.