Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Columbus, OH
It impossible to compare the cost of living in Medellin to every city in the United States since the cost of living varies from city to city. However, the information below should give reader an approximate idea of how much cheaper Colombia is the North America. One a retired expat gets settled and knows where to shop, the country is even more affordable.
Author’s comments: It is difficult to compare the cost of living in Medellin, Colombia with the cost of every city in the U.S. since some places are more affordable that others. Below is a comparison of prices in Medellin and Columbus, Ohio. It should give you a good idea of the affordability of most products and services.
You would need around 13,439,697.40 Col$ (4,073.29$) in Columbus, OH to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 5,000,000.00 Col$ in Medellin (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax). You can change the amount in this calculation.
| Restaurants | Medellin | Columbus | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 12,000.00 Col$ (3.59 $) | 43,458.35 Col$ (13.00 $) | +262.15 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 60,000.00 Col$ (17.95 $) | 150,432.75 Col$ (45.00 $) | +150.72 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15,000.00 Col$ (4.49 $) | 24,236.39 Col$ (7.25 $) | +61.58 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) | 3,000.00 Col$ (0.90 $) | 13,371.80 Col$ (4.00 $) | +345.73 % |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 6,000.00 Col$ (1.79 $) | 16,714.75 Col$ (5.00 $) | +178.58 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 3,306.22 Col$ (0.99 $) | 12,185.85 Col$ (3.65 $) | +268.57 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 2,161.90 Col$ (0.65 $) | 5,582.73 Col$ (1.67 $) | +158.23 % |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | 2,043.48 Col$ (0.61 $) | 4,016.32 Col$ (1.20 $) | +96.54 % |
| Markets | |||
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 2,226.11 Col$ (0.67 $) | 2,104.60 Col$ (0.63 $) | -5.46 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 2,819.25 Col$ (0.84 $) | 6,715.86 Col$ (2.01 $) | +138.21 % |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 3,132.73 Col$ (0.94 $) | 12,418.35 Col$ (3.71 $) | +296.41 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5,073.71 Col$ (1.52 $) | 6,652.47 Col$ (1.99 $) | +31.12 % |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 8,201.42 Col$ (2.45 $) | 35,848.18 Col$ (10.72 $) | +337.10 % |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 12,649.00 Col$ (3.78 $) | 25,561.42 Col$ (7.65 $) | +102.08 % |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 13,715.26 Col$ (4.10 $) | 33,634.58 Col$ (10.06 $) | +145.23 % |
| Apples (1kg) | 5,702.14 Col$ (1.71 $) | 14,970.20 Col$ (4.48 $) | +162.54 % |
| Banana (1kg) | 2,264.06 Col$ (0.68 $) | 4,509.07 Col$ (1.35 $) | +99.16 % |
| Oranges (1kg) | 3,460.00 Col$ (1.04 $) | 12,381.50 Col$ (3.70 $) | +257.85 % |
| Tomato (1kg) | 2,693.75 Col$ (0.81 $) | 14,043.84 Col$ (4.20 $) | +421.35 % |
| Potato (1kg) | 2,625.00 Col$ (0.79 $) | 7,726.16 Col$ (2.31 $) | +194.33 % |
| Onion (1kg) | 2,527.50 Col$ (0.76 $) | 8,226.70 Col$ (2.46 $) | +225.49 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2,428.57 Col$ (0.73 $) | 4,602.13 Col$ (1.38 $) | +89.50 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2,444.44 Col$ (0.73 $) | 5,386.33 Col$ (1.61 $) | +120.35 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 30,000.00 Col$ (8.97 $) | 46,767.87 Col$ (13.99 $) | +55.89 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2,696.59 Col$ (0.81 $) | 7,004.28 Col$ (2.10 $) | +159.75 % |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 5,857.14 Col$ (1.75 $) | 10,267.63 Col$ (3.07 $) | +75.30 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 5,200.00 Col$ (1.56 $) | 23,216.79 Col$ (6.95 $) | +346.48 % |
| Transportation | |||
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2,200.00 Col$ (0.66 $) | 6,685.90 Col$ (2.00 $) | +203.90 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 93,826.09 Col$ (28.07 $) | 207,262.90 Col$ (62.00 $) | +120.90 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5,000.00 Col$ (1.50 $) | 10,028.85 Col$ (3.00 $) | +100.58 % |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 1,290.00 Col$ (0.39 $) | 6,044.69 Col$ (1.81 $) | +368.58 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25,000.00 Col$ (7.48 $) | 62,680.31 Col$ (18.75 $) | +150.72 % |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 2,448.93 Col$ (0.73 $) | 2,257.29 Col$ (0.68 $) | -7.83 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 50,000,000.00 Col$ (14,956.85 $) | 78,559,325.00 Col$ (23,500.00 $) | +57.12 % |
| Toyota Corolla 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 68,430,000.00 Col$ (20,469.94 $) | 62,889,804.03 Col$ (18,812.67 $) | -8.10 % |
| Utilities (Monthly) | |||
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 171,383.86 Col$ (51.27 $) | 571,059.57 Col$ (170.83 $) | +233.20 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 142.05 Col$ (0.04 $) | 612.87 Col$ (0.18 $) | +331.45 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 111,503.70 Col$ (33.35 $) | 191,896.47 Col$ (57.40 $) | +72.10 % |
| Sports And Leisure | |||
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 73,368.38 Col$ (21.95 $) | 107,095.74 Col$ (32.04 $) | +45.97 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 26,454.55 Col$ (7.91 $) | 63,516.05 Col$ (19.00 $) | +140.10 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 12,000.00 Col$ (3.59 $) | 33,429.50 Col$ (10.00 $) | +178.58 % |
| Childcare | |||
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 457,894.74 Col$ (136.97 $) | 2,771,609.45 Col$ (829.09 $) | +505.29 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 11,885,256.67 Col$ (3,555.32 $) | 56,830,150.00 Col$ (17,000.00 $) | +378.16 % |
| Clothing And Shoes | |||
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 159,146.42 Col$ (47.61 $) | 145,418.33 Col$ (43.50 $) | -8.63 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …) | 112,118.17 Col$ (33.54 $) | 108,744.20 Col$ (32.53 $) | -3.01 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 256,325.63 Col$ (76.68 $) | 250,162.70 Col$ (74.83 $) | -2.40 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 228,291.67 Col$ (68.29 $) | 272,283.28 Col$ (81.45 $) | +19.27 % |
| Rent Per Month | |||
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 829,941.25 Col$ (248.27 $) | 3,546,003.26 Col$ (1,060.74 $) | +327.26 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 727,572.12 Col$ (217.64 $) | 2,683,831.69 Col$ (802.83 $) | +268.88 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 1,404,467.19 Col$ (420.13 $) | 6,538,253.04 Col$ (1,955.83 $) | +365.53 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 1,349,130.43 Col$ (403.57 $) | 4,223,399.46 Col$ (1,263.38 $) | +213.05 % |
| Buy Apartment Price | |||
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 3,697,857.14 Col$ (1,106.17 $) | 5,697,767.92 Col$ (1,704.41 $) | +54.08 % |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 3,325,000.00 Col$ (994.63 $) | 3,491,687.34 Col$ (1,044.49 $) | +5.01 % |
| Salaries And Financing | |||
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 1,027,963.40 Col$ (307.50 $) | 10,655,144.42 Col$ (3,187.35 $) | +936.53 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.89 | 4.15 | -65.11 % |
| Last update: | May 2019 | May 2019 | |
| Contributors: | 187 | 173 | |
| Data from past: | 18 months | 18 months | |
| Currency: COP |
