Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hickory, NC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,078 in Hickory, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Hickory, NC
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Hickory, NC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,078 in Hickory, NC versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Hickory, NC $2,078
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,962 in Hickory, NC versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Hickory, NC $2,962
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Hickory, NC versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Hickory, NC $3,847
Medellin $3,186

Living in Hickory, NC is roughly 27% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hickory, NC 53% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.01 $15.01

$8.09 COP 26.1K

85.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 $61.7

$47.05 COP 151.7K

31.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$9.50 COP 30.6K

16.11%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$3.01 COP 9,722

66.11%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$1.80 COP 5,801

23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.41 COP 4,554

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.18 COP 10.2K

71.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$5.75 COP 18.5K

18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.51 COP 4,869

-43.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.38 COP 7,667

53.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.77 COP 5,712

76.27%

Eggs

$3.43 $3.43

$2.89 COP 9,320

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$10.19 COP 32.9K

5.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-9.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$13.99 COP 45.1K

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.97 COP 12.8K

0.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.55 COP 5,005

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.18 COP 7,039

7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.18 COP 7,041

-19.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.96 COP 6,328

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.59 COP 5,125

104.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.15 COP 3,694

55.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.24 COP 4,009

70.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 $9.00

$3.96 COP 12.8K

127.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.68 COP 44.1K

9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.26 COP 7,281

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.17 COP 3,766

4.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.59 $44.59

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-42.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.27 COP 4,089

55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.05 COP 6,603

10.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 $17.72

$8.55 COP 27.6K

107.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.35 COP 4,343

-39.26%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-20.65%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-24.22%

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

$141 $141

$170 COP 547.0K

-17.11%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$13.55 COP 43.7K

341.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 $54.1

$28.07 COP 90.5K

92.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.46 $27.46

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-37.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$6.91 COP 22.3K

106.51%

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

$354 $354

$797 COP 2.6M

-55.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

177.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.75 $40.75

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-51.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.24 $20.24

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-65.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.51 $39.51

$135 COP 435.2K

-70.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.94 $49.94

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$1,208 COP 3.9M

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$642 COP 2.1M

60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$1,012 COP 3.3M

50.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 $2,141

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-48.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,163 $2,163

$1,910 COP 6.2M

13.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,526 $4,526

$657 COP 2.1M

588.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

10.94

-49.45%

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

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 37.7% $388

Groceries & Markets

Hickory, NC

$338 16.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 12.1% $41

Eating Out

Hickory, NC

$269 13%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 37% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hickory, NC

$255 12.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 17% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 150% $101

Getting Around

Hickory, NC

$63 3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 49% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 2.7% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,299 in Hickory, NC and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays about 6.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Hickory, NC vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

Same time as Hickory, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,374

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Hickory, NC Medellin 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hickory, NC
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

Hickory, NC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,078 in Hickory, NC and $1,639 in Medellin, so Medellin is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Hickory, NC is about 6.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,299 in Hickory, NC versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $62 in Hickory, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,078 per month in Hickory, NC versus $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Hickory, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.