Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
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Santa Rosa, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,442 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $3,442
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $5,030 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $5,030
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $6,617 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $6,617
Medellin $3,186

Santa Rosa, CA costs about 110% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Rosa, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Santa Rosa, CA by 153%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.06 $27.06

$8.09 COP 25.4K

234.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$47.05 COP 148.0K

92.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$9.50 COP 29.9K

27.89%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$3.01 COP 9,485

119.27%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.80 COP 5,660

78.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.41 COP 4,443

123.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.18 COP 9,990

147.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$5.75 COP 18.1K

55.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.51 COP 4,751

-9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.38 COP 7,480

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.77 COP 5,573

168.36%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$2.89 COP 9,093

88.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.62 $22.62

$10.19 COP 32.1K

121.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$9.87 COP 31.1K

54.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.99 $20.99

$13.99 COP 44.0K

50.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.97 COP 12.5K

53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.55 COP 4,883

61.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.18 COP 6,867

210.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$2.18 COP 6,870

213.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.96 COP 6,174

101.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.59 COP 5,000

118.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.15 COP 3,604

166.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.24 COP 3,911

58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$3.96 COP 12.5K

196.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.66 COP 5,222

30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.26 COP 7,104

-8.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.17 COP 3,674

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 $50.2

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-35.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.27 COP 3,989

209.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.05 COP 6,442

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.43 $29.43

$8.55 COP 26.9K

244.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.35 COP 4,237

10.37%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-19.27%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-22.95%

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

$196 $196

$170 COP 533.7K

15.46%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$13.55 COP 42.6K

264.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$28.07 COP 88.3K

154.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 $68.2

$43.70 COP 137.5K

56.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 $13.99

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-18.62%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$6.91 COP 21.7K

106.51%

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

$1,255 $1,255

$797 COP 2.5M

57.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K $40.0K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

339.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-40.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 $36.55

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$135 COP 424.6K

-22.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$97.9 COP 307.9K

29.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 $2,336

$1,208 COP 3.8M

93.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$642 COP 2.0M

195.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,569 $3,569

$2,028 COP 6.4M

76.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$1,012 COP 3.2M

206.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,019 $5,019

$4,170 COP 13.1M

20.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 $4,908

$1,910 COP 6.0M

156.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,740 $4,740

$657 COP 2.1M

621.34%

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 Santa Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 66.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 41.5% $211

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 59.1% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 33.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 17.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 40.5% $39

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 33.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,336 in Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA are about 7.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $507 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Santa Rosa, CA Medellin 5,930 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Rosa, CA
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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

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

Yes – Santa Rosa, CA is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,164 per month in Santa Rosa, 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 $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Santa Rosa, 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 $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 110%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Santa Rosa, CA at $3,442. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Rosa, 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Rosa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.