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: $2,509 in Houston, MO versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,690 in Houston, MO versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,871 in Houston, MO versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 148% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Houston, MO is 87% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 $12.02

$5.99 COP 21.3K

100.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 $86.2

$32.86 COP 116.9K

162.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$7.09 COP 25.2K

57.97%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$1.71 COP 6,093

228.07%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.10 COP 3,910

136.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.78 COP 2,771

175.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$1.68 COP 5,976

247.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.07 COP 10.9K

105.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.09 COP 3,892

3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.26 COP 4,492

155.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.38 COP 4,905

363.77%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$2.19 COP 7,799

121.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.36 $18.36

$4.40 COP 15.7K

317.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$5.63 COP 20.0K

187.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$8.89 COP 31.6K

82.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.34 COP 8,319

96.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.06 COP 3,764

21.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.50 COP 5,355

140.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.38 COP 4,906

101.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.15 COP 4,097

101.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.16 COP 4,141

127.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.89 COP 3,170

103.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.84 COP 2,986

216.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 $9.96

$2.28 COP 8,116

336.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.64 COP 37.9K

39.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.20 COP 4,268

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.47 COP 8,793

22.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.86 COP 3,045

138.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.47 COP 5,245

136.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.96 COP 6,984

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$7.74 COP 27.5K

270.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.95 COP 3,397

-24.21%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

68.36%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

28.36%

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

$192 $192

$82.3 COP 292.7K

133.30%

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

$47.71 $47.71

$9.50 COP 33.8K

402.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.55 $49.55

$24.23 COP 86.2K

104.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 $42.17

$25.89 COP 92.1K

62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$3.93 COP 14.0K

279.13%

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

$1,322 $1,322

$309 COP 1.1M

327.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

294.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.22 $48.22

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 $39.69

$32.35 COP 115.1K

22.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 $67.6

$103 COP 365.1K

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 $68.7

$108 COP 385.8K

-36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$476 COP 1.7M

234.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 $1,365

$379 COP 1.3M

260.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,632 $2,632

$838 COP 3.0M

214.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 $2,235

$724 COP 2.6M

208.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-3.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,624 $2,624

$1,211 COP 4.3M

116.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

13.43

-51.15%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,593 in Houston, MO and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Houston, MO vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $188 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 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,763 in Houston, MO and $1,519 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: $1,593 in Houston, MO versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,322 in Houston, MO versus $309 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 $33.00 versus $86.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,509 in Houston, MO, a $1,500 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 148% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.