Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saratoga, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,517 in Saratoga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga, CA
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Saratoga, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Saratoga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,517

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,517 per month in Saratoga, CA vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Saratoga, CA $2,517
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,732 per month in Saratoga, CA vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Saratoga, CA $3,732
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,947 per month in Saratoga, CA vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Saratoga, CA $4,947
Medellin $3,199

Saratoga, CA costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saratoga, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Saratoga, CA by 86%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 $25.17

$8.30 COP 26.3K

203.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$46.91 COP 148.7K

134.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 $13.16

$9.24 COP 29.3K

42.42%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$3.05 COP 9,676

63.28%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.80 COP 5,707

8.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.38 COP 4,382

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-4.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$5.56 COP 17.6K

9.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.50 COP 4,760

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.37 COP 7,508

43.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.70 COP 5,377

91.18%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$2.96 COP 9,379

33.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-45.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-55.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-21.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.13 COP 13.1K

13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.53 COP 4,839

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.22 COP 7,052

-49.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.27 COP 7,194

43.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.99 COP 6,311

-61.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.67 COP 5,285

-52.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.18 COP 3,742

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.24 COP 3,919

17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.87 COP 12.3K

202.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-71.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.66 COP 5,256

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.40 COP 7,615

92.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.24 COP 3,944

63.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 $65.9

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-15.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.28 COP 4,044

174.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.15 COP 6,803

-58.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.05 $26.05

$8.37 COP 26.5K

211.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.35 COP 4,288

9.63%

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

$21.9K $21.9K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-37.03%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-28.89%

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

$288 $288

$167 COP 528.4K

72.98%

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

$35.61 $35.61

$13.62 COP 43.2K

161.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.64 $29.64

$29.12 COP 92.3K

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 $40.95

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.11 $15.11

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-12.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 $7.96

$6.97 COP 22.1K

14.20%

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

$1,407 $1,407

$790 COP 2.5M

78.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K $42.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

364.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.80 $39.80

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-54.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.03 $25.03

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-56.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 $76.1

$139 COP 440.7K

-45.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$98.9 COP 313.5K

53.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,028 COP 3.3M

54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$620 COP 2.0M

110.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,881 COP 6.0M

32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 $2,139

$1,008 COP 3.2M

112.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,515 $2,515

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-36.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$1,702 COP 5.4M

38.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,088 $8,088

$663 COP 2.1M

1119.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.16%

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

Last update for Saratoga, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saratoga, CA

$1.3K 51.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 52.5% $684

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saratoga, CA

$354 14%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 40.8% $144

Eating Out

Saratoga, CA

$340 13.5%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 49.8% $169

Groceries & Markets

Saratoga, CA

$249 9.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 19.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Saratoga, CA

$132 5.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 31.2% $41

Getting Around

Saratoga, CA

$82 3.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 16.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Saratoga, CA

$57 2.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 3.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,584 in Saratoga, CA 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 1119% higher in Saratoga, CA, 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 $110 in Saratoga, CA versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Saratoga, CA vs $298 in Medellin – so Saratoga, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saratoga, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

2 h ahead of Saratoga, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,153

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Between locations

Saratoga, CA Medellin 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Saratoga, 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

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

Yes – Saratoga, CA is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,776 per month in Saratoga, CA and $2,437 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 $110 in Saratoga, CA and $47.00 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 $2,517 in Saratoga, CA and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 55%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Saratoga, CA at $2,517. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saratoga, 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.

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, Saratoga, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.