Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,671 in Houston, MO versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,970 in Houston, MO versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,268 in Houston, MO versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 56% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 94% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 $17.71

$8.03 COP 25.2K

120.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 $77.7

$48.26 COP 151.7K

60.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$9.77 COP 30.7K

21.08%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$2.91 COP 9,149

79.73%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.94 COP 6,110

28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.52 COP 4,783

9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.09 COP 9,721

83.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$5.74 COP 18.1K

20.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.36 COP 4,287

-7.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.39 COP 7,505

60.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.70 COP 5,346

249.41%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$2.87 COP 9,021

39.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$9.94 COP 31.2K

32.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$10.78 COP 33.9K

45.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.79 $20.79

$14.73 COP 46.3K

41.14%

Apples (1kg)

$8.47 $8.47

$4.09 COP 12.8K

107.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.57 COP 4,940

48.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.13 COP 6,682

162.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$2.21 COP 6,959

133.48%

Potato (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.05 COP 6,435

107.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.50 COP 4,728

225.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.19 COP 3,740

138.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.16 COP 3,640

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.90 COP 12.2K

103.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.44 COP 45.4K

5.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.58 COP 4,978

79.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.83 COP 8,889

19.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.17 COP 3,672

56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.28 COP 4,038

181.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.09 COP 6,576

-26.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.77 $40.77

$8.62 COP 27.1K

372.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.30 COP 4,080

-32.31%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

28.67%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-29.04%

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

$247 $247

$176 COP 553.4K

40.36%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$13.37 COP 42.0K

422.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$29.89 COP 94.0K

151.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.25 $43.25

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-3.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$6.20 COP 19.5K

124.68%

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

$1,410 $1,410

$793 COP 2.5M

77.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

168.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-30.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 $43.36

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-25.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$136 COP 428.4K

-35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$103 COP 324.1K

14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$1,060 COP 3.3M

27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 $1,315

$680 COP 2.1M

93.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$2,012 COP 6.3M

22.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 $2,124

$1,169 COP 3.7M

81.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,441 $2,441

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-40.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,345 $2,345

$1,701 COP 5.3M

37.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.09

10.94

-44.33%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,354 in Houston, MO and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $496 vs $303 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Houston, MO vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,007 in Houston, MO and $2,574 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,354 in Houston, MO versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,410 in Houston, MO versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,671 in Houston, MO, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Houston, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.