Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacoma, WA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,008 in Tacoma, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,008

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,008 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $3,008
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,371 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $4,371
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,735 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $5,735
Medellin $3,186

Tacoma, WA costs about 83% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tacoma, WA and Medellin sit above the global median – Tacoma, WA by 121%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 $25.28

$8.09 COP 26.1K

212.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$47.05 COP 151.9K

71.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$9.50 COP 30.7K

27.79%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$3.01 COP 9,735

86.38%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.80 COP 5,809

72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.41 COP 4,561

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.18 COP 10.3K

118.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$5.75 COP 18.6K

20.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.51 COP 4,876

-27.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.38 COP 7,678

76.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$1.77 COP 5,720

229.38%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$2.89 COP 9,333

96.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$10.19 COP 32.9K

55.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$9.87 COP 31.9K

61.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.45 $23.45

$13.99 COP 45.2K

67.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.97 COP 12.8K

25.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.55 COP 5,012

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.18 COP 7,048

98.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.18 COP 7,051

107.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.96 COP 6,337

37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.59 COP 5,132

84.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.15 COP 3,699

50.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.24 COP 4,014

162.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 $12.05

$3.96 COP 12.8K

204.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 $18.35

$13.68 COP 44.2K

34.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.66 COP 5,359

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.26 COP 7,291

120.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.17 COP 3,771

72.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 $62.6

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-19.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.27 COP 4,094

100.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.05 COP 6,612

-17.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.77 $29.77

$8.55 COP 27.6K

248.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.35 COP 4,349

-2.22%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-17.11%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-21.71%

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

$230 $230

$170 COP 547.8K

35.85%

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

$91.1 $91.1

$13.55 COP 43.8K

572.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 $86.7

$28.07 COP 90.6K

208.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.12 $36.12

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 $18.09

$17.19 COP 55.5K

5.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 $13.97

$6.91 COP 22.3K

102.17%

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

$2,085 $2,085

$797 COP 2.6M

161.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

257.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 $61.9

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-26.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 $44.73

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$135 COP 435.8K

-36.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$97.9 COP 316.0K

32.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$1,208 COP 3.9M

43.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$642 COP 2.1M

125.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$2,028 COP 6.5M

33.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$1,012 COP 3.3M

128.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,794 $4,794

$4,170 COP 13.5M

14.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 $3,251

$1,910 COP 6.2M

70.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,927 $4,927

$657 COP 2.1M

649.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

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

Last update for Tacoma, WA: 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

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 48%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 55.6% $802

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$487 16.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 39.1% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$408 13.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 48.2% $197

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$378 12.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 55.1% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$145 4.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 16.4% $24

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 14.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$64 2.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 10.2% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,735 in Tacoma, WA 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 Tacoma, WA are about 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Tacoma, WA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $487 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

3 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Tacoma, WA Medellin 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacoma, WA
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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

Tacoma, WA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tacoma, WA is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,512 per month in Tacoma, WA 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 $1,735 in Tacoma, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Tacoma, WA 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 $3,008 in Tacoma, WA and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 45% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Tacoma, WA at $3,008. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tacoma, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $3,008 in Tacoma, WA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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