Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Torrance, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,520 in Torrance, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

172

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

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Torrance, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,520

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,520 per month in Torrance, CA vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Torrance, CA $3,520
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $5,192 per month in Torrance, CA vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Torrance, CA $5,192
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $6,864 per month in Torrance, CA vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Torrance, CA $6,864
Medellin $3,190

Torrance, CA costs about 118% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Torrance, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Torrance, CA by 161%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.76 $24.76

$7.93 COP 25.2K

212.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$46.13 COP 146.3K

70.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.75 $14.75

$9.50 COP 30.1K

55.26%

Cappuccino

$4.66 $4.66

$3.11 COP 9,866

49.84%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$1.83 COP 5,800

106.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.38 COP 4,360

98.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.05 COP 9,672

164.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.50 COP 17.4K

79.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.45 COP 4,600

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.36 COP 7,496

99.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.68 COP 5,328

191.07%

Eggs

$4.47 $4.47

$2.86 COP 9,077

56.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$10.19 COP 32.3K

14.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$9.53 COP 30.2K

68.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$14.04 COP 44.5K

41.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$4.07 COP 12.9K

23.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.50 COP 4,742

55.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.17 COP 6,891

117.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.31 COP 7,310

140.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.93 COP 6,113

58.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.64 COP 5,196

91.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.13 COP 3,571

84.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.25 COP 3,954

109.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 $12.92

$3.99 COP 12.6K

223.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$13.35 COP 42.3K

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.70 COP 5,384

44.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.37 COP 7,525

29.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.21 COP 3,827

62.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.40 $40.40

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-47.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.32 COP 4,179

137.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.14 COP 6,774

-14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.67 $32.67

$8.47 COP 26.8K

285.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.30 COP 4,114

12.31%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

31.39%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-25.06%

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

$256 $256

$172 COP 545.6K

48.75%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$13.37 COP 42.4K

298.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$28.73 COP 91.1K

151.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 $59.3

$45.24 COP 143.5K

31.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.36 $25.36

$17.04 COP 54.0K

48.83%

Cinema Ticket

$19.95 $19.95

$6.28 COP 19.9K

217.68%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$770 COP 2.4M

119.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

67.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 $63.7

$57.1 COP 181.1K

11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$137 COP 432.9K

-21.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 $192

$97.9 COP 310.4K

96.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$1,055 COP 3.3M

147.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$616 COP 2.0M

215.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,298 $4,298

$1,892 COP 6.0M

127.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,426 $3,426

$1,023 COP 3.2M

234.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,546 $7,546

$4,059 COP 12.9M

85.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,336 $6,336

$1,678 COP 5.3M

277.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,675 $5,675

$652 COP 2.1M

769.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.94

-41.59%

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

Last update for Torrance, 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

Torrance, CA

$1.9K 55.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 68.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Torrance, CA

$461 13.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 36.1% $167

Eating Out

Torrance, CA

$384 10.9%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 56.2% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Torrance, CA

$381 10.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 43.8% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Torrance, CA

$192 5.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 11.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Torrance, CA

$99 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 41.7% $41

Getting Around

Torrance, CA

$61 1.7%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 54.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,612 in Torrance, 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 770% higher in Torrance, 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 $79.0 in Torrance, CA versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Torrance, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h ahead of Torrance, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,350

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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Torrance, CA Medellin 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Torrance, 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

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

Yes – Torrance, CA is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,280 per month in Torrance, 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 $79.0 in Torrance, CA and $46.00 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 $3,520 in Torrance, CA and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 118%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Torrance, CA at $3,520. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Torrance, 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, Torrance, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.