Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,797

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,797 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,797
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $5,248 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,248
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $6,699 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,699
Medellin $3,190

Thousand Oaks, CA costs about 135% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Thousand Oaks, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Thousand Oaks, CA by 181%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$7.93 COP 25.2K

216.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100.0 $100.0

$46.13 COP 146.3K

116.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 $8.60

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-9.47%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.11 COP 9,866

78.46%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.83 COP 5,800

54.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 COP 4,360

41.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.05 COP 9,672

169.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 $9.72

$5.50 COP 17.4K

76.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.45 COP 4,600

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.36 COP 7,496

66.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.68 COP 5,328

108.93%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$2.86 COP 9,077

76.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$10.19 COP 32.3K

23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.24 $20.24

$9.53 COP 30.2K

112.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.88 $21.88

$14.04 COP 44.5K

55.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.07 COP 12.9K

32.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.50 COP 4,742

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.17 COP 6,891

117.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.31 COP 7,310

156.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.93 COP 6,113

92.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.64 COP 5,196

73.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.13 COP 3,571

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.25 COP 3,954

77.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$3.99 COP 12.6K

154.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$13.35 COP 42.3K

10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.70 COP 5,384

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.37 COP 7,525

-35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.32 COP 4,179

231.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.14 COP 6,774

-15.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.85 $35.85

$8.47 COP 26.8K

323.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.30 COP 4,114

13.85%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

32.52%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-26.25%

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

$163 $163

$172 COP 545.6K

-5.51%

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

$48.06 $48.06

$13.37 COP 42.4K

259.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$28.73 COP 91.1K

141.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 $66.9

$45.24 COP 143.5K

47.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 $22.43

$17.04 COP 54.0K

31.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 $11.94

$6.28 COP 19.9K

90.13%

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

$1,781 $1,781

$770 COP 2.4M

131.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K $42.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

367.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 $30.09

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-47.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$137 COP 432.9K

-41.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$97.9 COP 310.4K

19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$1,055 COP 3.3M

147.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 $2,448

$616 COP 2.0M

297.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,705 $3,705

$1,892 COP 6.0M

95.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,513 $3,513

$1,023 COP 3.2M

243.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,959 $5,959

$4,059 COP 12.9M

46.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,896 $5,896

$1,678 COP 5.3M

251.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,918 $5,918

$652 COP 2.1M

807.08%

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.4K 64.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 74.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$467 12.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 36.9% $172

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 54.8% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$280 7.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 23.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 36.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$91 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 36.3% $33

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$13 * 0.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 596% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $1,055 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 807% higher in Thousand Oaks, 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 $100 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

2 h ahead of Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Thousand Oaks, CA Medellin 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, 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

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

Yes – Thousand Oaks, CA is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,695 per month in Thousand Oaks, CA and $2,421 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 $100 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Thousand Oaks, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Thousand Oaks, CA at $3,797. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thousand Oaks, 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, Thousand Oaks, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.