Medellín vs San Francisco Cost of Living

Medellín (Colombia) · Overall index 28.3San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1

Summary

  • Overall, San Francisco is 236% more expensive than Medellín.
  • Rent in San Francisco is 412% more expensive than in Medellín.
  • Transport in San Francisco is 265% more expensive than in Medellín.
ItemMedellínSan FranciscoDiff
Rent+412%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$723$3,208+344%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$493$2,609+429%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$1,419$7,487+428%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$898$4,864+442%
Groceries+181%
Milk (1L)$0.48$1.31+173%
White bread (500g)$1.41$4.2+198%
Rice (1kg)$2.07$5.82+181%
Eggs (12)$1.65$4.57+177%
Local cheese (1kg)$5.47$16.3+198%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.22$12.6+141%
Beef round (1kg)$7.93$22.3+181%
Apples (1kg)$1.9$5.88+209%
Bananas (1kg)$0.7$2.46+251%
Oranges (1kg)$1.57$4.54+189%
Tomatoes (1kg)$2.14$5.5+157%
Potatoes (1kg)$1.12$3.06+173%
Onions (1kg)$0.96$2.72+183%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.91$2.75+202%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.93$2.41+159%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$6.22$15.4+148%
Transport+265%
Public transport, one-way ticket$0.76$3.1+308%
Public transport, monthly pass$36.9$139+277%
Taxi, base fare$1.15$4.48+290%
Taxi, per km$0.54$1.91+254%
Gasoline (1L)$0.31$0.99+219%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$7,832$27,640+253%
Dining out+234%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$7.07$21.5+204%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$36.6$115+214%
Fast food combo meal$3.42$11.6+239%
Cappuccino$1.79$5.52+208%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$0.84$3.04+262%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$2.24$8.59+283%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$2.76$8.71+216%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$0.65$2.32+257%
Telecom+148%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$28.7$68.5+139%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$26.6$71.8+170%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.16$0.37+131%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$6.25$15.8+153%
Utilities & household+192%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$56.8$176+210%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.09$0.23+156%
Tap water (1m³)$1.6$5.1+219%
Natural gas (1m³)$0.54$1.47+172%
Waste collection (monthly)$8.16$25.8+216%
Fitness club (monthly)$29.5$94.8+221%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$5.13$17.5+241%
Men's haircut$12.9$33.2+157%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$10.4$29.6+185%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$869$2,199+153%

3,249 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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