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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,615 in Houston, TX versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Houston, TX versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,363 in Houston, TX versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 158% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Houston, TX is 94% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$6.14 COP 22.2K

222.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$33.05 COP 119.3K

144.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$7.32 COP 26.4K

37.84%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$1.66 COP 5,987

233.73%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.10 COP 3,987

148.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.78 COP 2,822

174.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$1.71 COP 6,188

253.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.17 COP 11.5K

120.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.11 COP 4,012

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.31 COP 4,719

138.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.38 COP 4,980

160.87%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.22 COP 8,009

87.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$4.34 COP 15.7K

192.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 $11.97

$5.80 COP 20.9K

106.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 $17.55

$8.98 COP 32.4K

95.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.26 COP 8,164

86.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.11 COP 4,023

25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.46 COP 5,284

173.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.37 COP 4,929

90.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.11 COP 4,009

151.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.16 COP 4,199

96.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.89 COP 3,211

108.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.87 COP 3,124

158.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 $9.80

$2.35 COP 8,495

317.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 $12.43

$10.86 COP 39.2K

14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.20 COP 4,330

67.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.48 COP 8,946

54.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.79 COP 2,842

62.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 $73.7

$40.77 COP 147.2K

80.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.42 COP 5,137

169.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.91 COP 6,900

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$7.65 COP 27.6K

298.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.97 COP 3,490

-19.59%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$18.1K COP 65.3M

79.14%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.3K COP 95.0M

-1.96%

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

$197 $197

$81.3 COP 293.5K

142.00%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$9.63 COP 34.8K

547.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$24.36 COP 88.0K

165.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 $38.32

$26.02 COP 93.9K

47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 $10.96

$18.92 COP 68.3K

-42.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$3.89 COP 14.0K

288.95%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$304 COP 1.1M

318.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

226.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.67 $45.67

$58.7 COP 211.8K

-22.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.09 $44.09

$32.48 COP 117.2K

35.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$102 COP 367.3K

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$108 COP 390.4K

15.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$474 COP 1.7M

246.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$371 COP 1.3M

242.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$848 COP 3.1M

260.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 $2,413

$716 COP 2.6M

236.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,871 COP 10.4M

-12.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$1,375 COP 5.0M

39.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,608 $4,608

$542 COP 2.0M

750.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

13.43

-52.05%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: April 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,643 in Houston, TX and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 751% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81 in Houston, TX vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $190 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, TX vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 158% lower than in Houston, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Houston, TX pays 751% more on average, 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: $1,643 in Houston, TX versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Houston, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $81.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,615 in Houston, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Houston, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,014 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Houston, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.