Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,045 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
Learn more

South Portland, ME Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,045

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,045 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

South Portland, ME $3,045
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in South Portland, ME vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

South Portland, ME $4,568
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $6,091 per month in South Portland, ME vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

South Portland, ME $6,091
Medellin $3,186

South Portland, ME costs about 86% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both South Portland, ME and Medellin sit above the global median – South Portland, ME by 124%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$8.09 COP 25.4K

208.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$47.05 COP 148.0K

150.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$9.50 COP 29.9K

54.84%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.01 COP 9,485

77.74%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$1.80 COP 5,660

71.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.41 COP 4,443

68.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.18 COP 9,990

145.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.75 COP 18.1K

38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.51 COP 4,751

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.38 COP 7,480

84.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$1.77 COP 5,573

293.22%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.89 COP 9,093

39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$10.19 COP 32.1K

50.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$9.87 COP 31.1K

4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 $15.97

$13.99 COP 44.0K

14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.97 COP 12.5K

20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.55 COP 4,883

6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.18 COP 6,867

153.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$2.18 COP 6,870

249.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.96 COP 6,174

123.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.59 COP 5,000

137.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.15 COP 3,604

154.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.24 COP 3,911

108.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.31 $12.31

$3.96 COP 12.5K

210.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.68 COP 43.0K

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.66 COP 5,221

14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.26 COP 7,103

15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.17 COP 3,674

63.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 $51.3

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-33.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.27 COP 3,989

61.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.05 COP 6,442

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 $10.94

$8.55 COP 26.9K

27.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.35 COP 4,237

-19.26%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-19.30%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-22.92%

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

$239 $239

$170 COP 533.7K

40.78%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$13.55 COP 42.6K

404.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$28.07 COP 88.3K

179.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-8.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 $29.61

$17.19 COP 54.1K

72.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$6.91 COP 21.7K

116.35%

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

$401 $401

$797 COP 2.5M

-49.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

66.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-38.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$135 COP 424.6K

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$97.9 COP 307.9K

33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$1,208 COP 3.8M

63.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 $1,537

$642 COP 2.0M

139.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,166 $3,166

$2,028 COP 6.4M

56.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$1,012 COP 3.2M

157.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-33.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$1,910 COP 6.0M

22.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 $4,169

$657 COP 2.1M

534.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

10.94

-39.21%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: 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

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 58.3% $895

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 33.5% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$386 12.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 45.2% $174

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$385 12.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 55.9% $215

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$152 5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 11.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 17.9% $13

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$69 2.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 35.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,972 in South Portland, ME 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 South Portland, ME are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in South Portland, ME versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

1 h behind South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

South Portland, ME Medellin 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
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

South Portland, ME vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – South Portland, ME is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,567 per month in South Portland, ME 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 $1,972 in South Portland, ME.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in South Portland, ME 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 $3,045 in South Portland, ME and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 86%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in South Portland, ME at $3,045. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Portland, ME it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $3,045 in South Portland, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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