Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garland, TX and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,625 in Garland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Garland, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,625
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,625 per month in Garland, TX vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Garland, TX $2,625
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,796 per month in Garland, TX vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Garland, TX $3,796
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,967 per month in Garland, TX vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Garland, TX $4,967
  • Medellin $3,190

Garland, TX costs about 63% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Garland, TX and Medellin sit above the global median – Garland, TX by 94%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.85 $19.85
$7.93 COP 25.2K
150.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.4 $54.4
$46.13 COP 146.3K
17.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.83 $9.83
$9.50 COP 30.1K
3.47%
Cappuccino
$5.52 $5.52
$3.11 COP 9,866
77.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.83 COP 5,800
40.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.38 COP 4,360
68.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.40 $5.40
$3.05 COP 9,672
77.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.65 $7.65
$5.50 COP 17.4K
39.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.45 COP 4,600
-35.86%
White Bread (500g)
$3.77 $3.77
$2.36 COP 7,496
59.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$1.68 COP 5,328
214.88%
Eggs
$4.62 $4.62
$2.86 COP 9,077
61.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.56 $7.56
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-25.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.71 $11.71
$9.53 COP 30.2K
22.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.20 $19.20
$14.04 COP 44.5K
36.75%
Apples (1kg)
$5.47 $5.47
$4.07 COP 12.9K
34.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.50 COP 4,742
-14.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.11 $5.11
$2.17 COP 6,891
135.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$2.31 COP 7,310
81.82%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.93 COP 6,113
4.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.64 COP 5,196
29.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.13 COP 3,571
84.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.25 COP 3,954
16.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.70 $9.70
$3.99 COP 12.6K
143.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.17 $11.17
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-16.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.70 COP 5,384
22.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 $3.35
$2.37 COP 7,525
41.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 $3.02
$1.21 COP 3,827
149.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.4 $96.4
$76.5 COP 242.5K
26.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.32 COP 4,179
132.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.75 $1.75
$2.14 COP 6,774
-18.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.19 $24.19
$8.47 COP 26.8K
185.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.30 COP 4,114
-30.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K $36.1K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
28.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-26.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$172 COP 545.6K
16.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.0 $54.0
$13.37 COP 42.4K
304.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.3 $80.3
$28.73 COP 91.1K
179.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.47 $39.47
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-12.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.76 $16.76
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-1.64%
Cinema Ticket
$14.80 $14.80
$6.28 COP 19.9K
135.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,348 $1,348
$770 COP 2.4M
74.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K $28.3K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
214.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 $59.8
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-30.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.10 $29.10
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-49.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 $87.4
$137 COP 432.9K
-36.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$97.9 COP 310.4K
24.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,494 $1,494
$1,055 COP 3.3M
41.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$616 COP 2.0M
106.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,295 $2,295
$1,892 COP 6.0M
21.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,090 $2,090
$1,023 COP 3.2M
104.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,247 $3,247
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-20.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,942 $1,942
$1,678 COP 5.3M
15.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Garland, TX
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,670 $3,670
$652 COP 2.1M
462.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
10.94
-39.49%

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

Last update for Garland, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Garland, TX
$1.3K
Medellin
$616 51.6% $657
Groceries & Markets
Garland, TX
$377
Medellin
$295 21.9% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Garland, TX
$335
Medellin
$214 36.1% $121
Eating Out
Garland, TX
$317
Medellin
$168 46.8% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Garland, TX
$134
Medellin
$170 26.8% $36
Getting Around
Garland, TX
$120
Medellin
$93 22.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Garland, TX
$69
Medellin
$58 16.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,494 in Garland, TX 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 463% higher in Garland, TX, 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 $54.0 in Garland, TX versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Garland, TX
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
12:27 12:27 PM
12:27 12:27 PM
Same time as Garland, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
242,035
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Garland, TX Medellin 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Garland, TX
  • 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
Garland, TX vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Garland, TX and in Medellin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,625 in Garland, TX, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Garland, TX compared to Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,938 per month in Garland, TX and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Garland, TX and Medellin?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Garland, TX and Medellin?
Kindergarten costs $1,348 per month in Garland, TX and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 28% more in Garland, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Garland, TX at $2,625. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Garland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Garland, TX and Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,625 in Garland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Garland, TX and Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Garland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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