Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockton, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,796 in Stockton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Stockton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,796

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,796 per month in Stockton, CA vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Stockton, CA $2,796
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $4,255 per month in Stockton, CA vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Stockton, CA $4,255
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $5,715 per month in Stockton, CA vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Stockton, CA $5,715
Medellin $3,139

Stockton, CA costs about 76% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stockton, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Stockton, CA by 109%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.33 $22.33

$8.01 COP 25.5K

178.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$46.55 COP 148.4K

58.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$9.43 COP 30.1K

25.45%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$2.91 COP 9,280

98.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.75 COP 5,586

83.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.32 COP 4,220

71.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.13 COP 9,972

153.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 $6.67

$5.55 COP 17.7K

20.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.41 COP 4,496

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.44 COP 7,779

79.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.63 COP 5,192

159.51%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$2.82 COP 8,993

103.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$9.69 COP 30.9K

-8.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 $14.29

$9.32 COP 29.7K

53.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.19 $22.19

$13.46 COP 42.9K

64.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.00 COP 12.8K

35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.48 COP 4,720

-12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.12 COP 6,770

68.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.25 COP 7,180

149.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.91 COP 6,093

9.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.62 COP 5,162

86.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.15 COP 3,659

104.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.26 COP 4,022

104.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 $11.58

$3.82 COP 12.2K

203.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.11 COP 41.8K

16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.60 COP 5,084

5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.26 COP 7,190

-46.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.17 COP 3,732

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.61 $40.61

$75.0 COP 239.1K

-45.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.27 COP 4,057

169.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.05 COP 6,533

48.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$8.20 COP 26.1K

261.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.27 COP 4,047

24.41%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K COP 85.3M

-5.26%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.4K COP 109.7M

-25.84%

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

$271 $271

$162 COP 517.0K

67.04%

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

$47.03 $47.03

$13.12 COP 41.8K

258.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.2 $84.2

$28.09 COP 89.5K

199.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.39 $37.39

$44.33 COP 141.3K

-15.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.92 $13.92

$6.09 COP 19.4K

128.57%

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

$248 $248

$764 COP 2.4M

-67.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

66.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-29.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.28 $29.28

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-49.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$132 COP 420.0K

-38.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 $72.0

$95.8 COP 305.2K

-24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$1,028 COP 3.3M

53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$604 COP 1.9M

123.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,866 $2,866

$1,802 COP 5.7M

59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 $2,596

$993 COP 3.2M

161.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,009 $3,009

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-23.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,047 $3,047

$1,639 COP 5.2M

85.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,835 $3,835

$626 COP 2.0M

512.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

10.94

-40.68%

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

Last update for Stockton, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockton, CA

$1.3K 48.4%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 55.2% $744

Groceries & Markets

Stockton, CA

$434 15.6%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 33.5% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockton, CA

$402 14.4%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 49.4% $199

Eating Out

Stockton, CA

$359 12.9%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 53.6% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Stockton, CA

$109 3.9%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 53% $58

Getting Around

Stockton, CA

$69 2.5%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 31.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Stockton, CA

$65 2.3%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 13.4% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,583 in Stockton, 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 513% higher in Stockton, 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 $74.0 in Stockton, CA versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $434 vs $288 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stockton, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

2 h ahead of Stockton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

305,658

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,572 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Stockton, CA Medellin 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Stockton, 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

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

Yes – Stockton, CA is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,194 per month in Stockton, CA and $2,384 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 $74.0 in Stockton, 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 $2,796 in Stockton, CA and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 76%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Stockton, CA at $2,796. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockton, 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, Stockton, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.