Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $4,153 in Union City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

199

Cost of Living Index in Union City, CA
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Union City, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Union City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,153

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,153 per month in Union City, CA vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Union City, CA $4,153
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $6,121 per month in Union City, CA vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Union City, CA $6,121
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $8,090 per month in Union City, CA vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Union City, CA $8,090
Medellin $3,199

Union City, CA costs about 156% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Union City, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Union City, CA by 206%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.48 $22.48

$8.30 COP 26.3K

170.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$46.91 COP 148.7K

116.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 $13.05

$9.24 COP 29.3K

41.23%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.05 COP 9,676

83.28%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.80 COP 5,707

63.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.38 COP 4,382

77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.24 COP 10.3K

147.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.56 COP 17.6K

76.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.50 COP 4,760

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.37 COP 7,508

91.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.70 COP 5,377

135.88%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$2.96 COP 9,379

102.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.01 $20.01

$10.22 COP 32.4K

95.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$9.74 COP 30.9K

34.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-34.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.13 COP 13.1K

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.53 COP 4,839

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.22 COP 7,052

20.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.27 COP 7,194

91.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.99 COP 6,311

12.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.67 COP 5,285

74.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.18 COP 3,742

106.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.24 COP 3,919

101.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$3.87 COP 12.3K

201.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 $15.61

$13.78 COP 43.7K

13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.66 COP 5,256

47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.40 COP 7,615

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.28 COP 4,044

175.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.15 COP 6,803

-13.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$8.37 COP 26.5K

254.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.35 COP 4,288

12.59%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-21.47%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-22.41%

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

$279 $279

$167 COP 528.4K

67.69%

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

$47.53 $47.53

$13.62 COP 43.2K

248.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$29.12 COP 92.3K

184.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 $42.49

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$16.76 $16.76

$6.97 COP 22.1K

140.46%

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

$1,841 $1,841

$790 COP 2.5M

133.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

333.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.10 $41.10

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-53.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-11.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$139 COP 440.7K

-36.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$98.9 COP 313.5K

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,505 $3,505

$1,028 COP 3.3M

240.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$620 COP 2.0M

340.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,794 $4,794

$1,881 COP 6.0M

154.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,944 $4,944

$1,008 COP 3.2M

390.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,169 $7,169

$663 COP 2.1M

980.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

10.94

-39.03%

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

Last update for Union City, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union City, CA

$2.7K 65.7%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 77.3% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Union City, CA

$423 10.2%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 29.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union City, CA

$410 9.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 48.9% $200

Eating Out

Union City, CA

$367 8.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 53.5% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Union City, CA

$136 3.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 27% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Union City, CA

$76 1.8%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 22.3% $17

Getting Around

Union City, CA

$13 * 0.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 639% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,505 in Union City, 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 981% higher in Union City, 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 $101 in Union City, CA versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union City, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

2 h ahead of Union City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,930

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Union City, CA Medellin 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Union City, 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

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

Yes – Union City, CA is pricier by about 156%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,229 per month in Union City, CA and $2,437 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 $101 in Union City, CA and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Union City, 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 $1,625, than in Union City, CA at $4,153. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Union City, 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, Union City, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.