Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highland, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,680

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,680 per month in Highland, CA vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Highland, CA $2,680
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $4,015 per month in Highland, CA vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Highland, CA $4,015
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $5,349 per month in Highland, CA vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Highland, CA $5,349
Medellin $3,199

Highland, CA costs about 65% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Highland, CA and Medellin sit above the global median – Highland, CA by 98%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$8.30 COP 26.3K

201.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 $78.1

$46.91 COP 148.7K

66.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.24 COP 29.3K

63.85%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.05 COP 9,676

85.25%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$1.80 COP 5,707

71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.38 COP 4,382

77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.24 COP 10.3K

121.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 $10.03

$5.56 COP 17.6K

80.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.50 COP 4,760

-10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.37 COP 7,508

97.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.70 COP 5,377

167.65%

Eggs

$5.29 $5.29

$2.96 COP 9,379

78.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$10.22 COP 32.4K

13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$13.90 COP 44.1K

40.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.13 COP 13.1K

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.53 COP 4,839

45.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.22 COP 7,052

81.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.27 COP 7,194

140.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.99 COP 6,311

70.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.67 COP 5,285

74.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.18 COP 3,742

64.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.24 COP 3,919

100.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.87 COP 12.3K

202.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.78 COP 43.7K

7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.66 COP 5,256

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.40 COP 7,615

15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.24 COP 3,944

62.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 $29.83

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-61.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.28 COP 4,044

138.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.15 COP 6,803

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.72 $31.72

$8.37 COP 26.5K

278.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.35 COP 4,288

15.56%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-18.31%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-24.32%

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

$221 $221

$167 COP 528.4K

32.75%

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

$77.6 $77.6

$13.62 COP 43.2K

469.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$29.12 COP 92.3K

170.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 $40.95

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$18.20 $18.20

$6.97 COP 22.1K

161.12%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$790 COP 2.5M

47.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

251.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-28.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.18 $47.18

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-18.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$139 COP 440.7K

-23.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$98.9 COP 313.5K

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$1,028 COP 3.3M

44.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 $1,219

$620 COP 2.0M

96.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,331 $2,331

$1,881 COP 6.0M

23.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$1,008 COP 3.2M

115.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 $3,106

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-22.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$1,702 COP 5.4M

40.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

10.94

-42.32%

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

Last update for Highland, 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

Highland, CA

$1.2K 45.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 49.2% $600

Groceries & Markets

Highland, CA

$420 15.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 29% $122

Eating Out

Highland, CA

$392 14.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 56.4% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highland, CA

$377 14.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 44.5% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Highland, CA

$144 5.4%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 19.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Highland, CA

$77 2.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 23.7% $18

Getting Around

Highland, CA

$50 1.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 88.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,489 in Highland, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Highland, CA versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

2 h ahead of Highland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,550

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Highland, CA Medellin 5,270 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Highland, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,680 in Highland, CA, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,021 per month in Highland, 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 $78.0 in Highland, CA and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,680 in Highland, CA and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 65%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Highland, CA at $2,680. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $2,680 in Highland, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.