Cost of Living Comparison Between Humboldt and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Humboldt and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,261 in Humboldt versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,174 in Humboldt versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,087 in Humboldt versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Humboldt is roughly 120% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Humboldt is 70% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 CA$15.34

$6.00 COP 20.6K

80.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.79 CA$47.77

$32.84 COP 112.9K

2.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 CA$13.70

$7.42 COP 25.5K

30.59%

Cappuccino

$3.64 CA$5.14

$1.65 COP 5,675

120.61%

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

$2.22 CA$3.13

$1.07 COP 3,673

107.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 CA$1.28

$0.76 COP 2,614

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 CA$6.41

$1.72 COP 5,925

163.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 CA$6.29

$3.20 COP 11.0K

39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.05 COP 3,607

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CA$2.55

$1.31 COP 4,492

37.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.28

$1.34 COP 4,604

126.12%

Eggs

$1.87 CA$2.64

$2.19 COP 7,543

-14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$15.95

$4.41 COP 15.2K

156.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 CA$16.94

$5.69 COP 19.6K

110.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 CA$24.49

$8.52 COP 29.3K

103.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.16

$2.34 COP 8,046

55.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CA$2.37

$1.11 COP 3,815

51.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 CA$6.01

$1.52 COP 5,225

179.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.07

$1.37 COP 4,694

162.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 CA$4.66

$1.15 COP 3,962

186.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$1.18 COP 4,055

128.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CA$3.64

$0.84 COP 2,893

205.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$0.86 COP 2,940

168.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.53 CA$20.53

$2.26 COP 7,776

542.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CA$19.23

$11.60 COP 39.9K

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 CA$5.31

$1.20 COP 4,121

213.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.48 COP 8,508

23.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$0.79 COP 2,729

192.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 CA$88.2

$40.83 COP 140.4K

52.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$1.47 COP 5,038

120.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 CA$0.87

$1.92 COP 6,587

-68.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 CA$42.29

$7.77 COP 26.7K

285.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.01 COP 3,474

6.93%

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

$25.0K CA$35.4K

$17.7K COP 60.7M

41.85%

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

$20.0K CA$28.3K

$26.5K COP 90.9M

-24.25%

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

$123 CA$174

$81.1 COP 278.8K

51.74%

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

$49.86 CA$70.5

$9.43 COP 32.4K

428.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 CA$71.8

$23.86 COP 82.0K

112.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.13 CA$59.6

$25.99 COP 89.4K

62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 CA$13.50

$4.09 COP 14.1K

133.50%

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

$495 CA$700

$315 COP 1.1M

57.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K CA$15.4K

$6,022 COP 20.7M

80.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 CA$85.7

$59.7 COP 205.2K

1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.02 CA$46.67

$31.97 COP 109.9K

3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 CA$121

$101 COP 347.9K

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$156

$105 COP 361.3K

5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,865

$485 COP 1.7M

171.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 CA$1,649

$365 COP 1.3M

219.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 CA$2,800

$827 COP 2.8M

139.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 CA$2,550

$730 COP 2.5M

147.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,029 CA$7,109

$2,992 COP 10.3M

68.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,737 CA$5,283

$1,314 COP 4.5M

184.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

13.43

-51.82%

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

Last update for Humboldt: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Humboldt and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Humboldt vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 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

Humboldt vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,392 in Humboldt and $1,542 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: $1,320 in Humboldt versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 53% less than in Humboldt. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $495 in Humboldt versus $315 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,261 in Humboldt, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Humboldt. 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 Humboldt, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Humboldt and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Humboldt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.