Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
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Santa Fe, NM Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,868 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $2,868
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,964 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $3,964
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,059 per month in Santa Fe, NM vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Fe, NM $5,059
Medellin $3,186

Santa Fe, NM costs about 75% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Fe, NM and Medellin sit above the global median – Santa Fe, NM by 111%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 $16.79

$8.09 COP 26.1K

107.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$47.05 COP 151.7K

42.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.50 COP 30.6K

5.79%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.01 COP 9,722

70.43%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$1.80 COP 5,801

57.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.41 COP 4,554

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.18 COP 10.2K

92.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$5.75 COP 18.5K

24.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.51 COP 4,869

-37.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.38 COP 7,667

31.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.77 COP 5,712

158.76%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.89 COP 9,320

43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$10.19 COP 32.9K

14.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$13.99 COP 45.1K

21.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.97 COP 12.8K

18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.55 COP 5,005

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.18 COP 7,039

75.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.18 COP 7,041

96.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.96 COP 6,328

65.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.59 COP 5,125

28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.15 COP 3,694

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.24 COP 4,009

95.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$3.96 COP 12.8K

170.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 $16.16

$13.68 COP 44.1K

18.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.66 COP 5,352

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.26 COP 7,281

64.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.17 COP 3,766

-12.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.97 $19.97

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-74.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.27 COP 4,089

188.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.05 COP 6,603

-4.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.25 $32.25

$8.55 COP 27.6K

277.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.35 COP 4,343

-24.44%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-22.19%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-26.07%

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

$159 $159

$170 COP 547.0K

-6.27%

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

$45.35 $45.35

$13.55 COP 43.7K

234.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$28.07 COP 90.5K

161.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$43.70 COP 140.9K

59.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 $13.16

$6.91 COP 22.3K

90.45%

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

$1,344 $1,344

$797 COP 2.6M

68.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K $15.5K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

70.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-34.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 $42.87

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-26.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$135 COP 435.2K

-41.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$97.9 COP 315.6K

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$1,208 COP 3.9M

79.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,652 $1,652

$642 COP 2.1M

157.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,059 $3,059

$2,028 COP 6.5M

50.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 $2,387

$1,012 COP 3.3M

135.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,231 $6,231

$4,170 COP 13.4M

49.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 $3,826

$1,910 COP 6.2M

100.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,927 $3,927

$657 COP 2.1M

497.54%

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 Santa Fe, 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

Santa Fe, NM

$1.7K 57.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 61.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 22% $84

Eating Out

Santa Fe, NM

$292 10.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 41.8% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe, NM

$278 9.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 23.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe, NM

$133 4.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 26.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe, NM

$96 3.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 40.1% $38

Getting Around

Santa Fe, NM

$38 1.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 149% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,172 in Santa Fe, 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 Santa Fe, NM are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Santa Fe, NM versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Fe, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,505

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 October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 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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Santa Fe, NM Medellin 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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

Santa Fe, NM vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Fe, NM is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,303 per month in Santa Fe, 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 $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Santa Fe, 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 $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 43% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Santa Fe, NM at $2,868. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Fe, 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, Santa Fe, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.