Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

172

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,561

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Huntington Beach, CA $3,561
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,920 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Huntington Beach, CA $5,920
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,278 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Huntington Beach, CA $8,278
Medellin $3,199

Living in Huntington Beach, CA is roughly 119% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Huntington Beach, CA 163% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 $15.92

$8.30 COP 26.3K

91.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$46.91 COP 148.7K

68.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.83 $14.83

$9.24 COP 29.3K

60.50%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$3.05 COP 9,676

91.48%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$1.80 COP 5,707

73.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.38 COP 4,382

65.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 $7.27

$3.24 COP 10.3K

124.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$5.56 COP 17.6K

47.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.50 COP 4,760

-20.67%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.37 COP 7,508

115.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.70 COP 5,377

187.06%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$2.96 COP 9,379

71.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$10.22 COP 32.4K

19.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.24 $19.24

$9.74 COP 30.9K

97.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$13.90 COP 44.1K

10.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.13 COP 13.1K

13.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.53 COP 4,839

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.22 COP 7,052

87.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.27 COP 7,194

145.37%

Potato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.99 COP 6,311

124.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.67 COP 5,285

89.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.18 COP 3,742

77.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.24 COP 3,919

98.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$3.87 COP 12.3K

208.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$13.78 COP 43.7K

9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.66 COP 5,256

20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.40 COP 7,615

35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.28 COP 4,044

242.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.15 COP 6,803

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.49 $35.49

$8.37 COP 26.5K

324.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.35 COP 4,288

18.52%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-19.08%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-24.60%

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

$211 $211

$167 COP 528.4K

26.88%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$13.62 COP 43.2K

357.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.5 $78.5

$29.12 COP 92.3K

169.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 $44.12

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-2.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$6.97 COP 22.1K

115.49%

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

$1,183 $1,183

$790 COP 2.5M

49.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

378.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-26.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 $41.20

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$139 COP 440.7K

-27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$98.9 COP 313.5K

18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$1,028 COP 3.3M

154.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$620 COP 2.0M

254.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$1,881 COP 6.0M

161.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,279 $5,279

$1,008 COP 3.2M

423.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,928 $7,928

$3,988 COP 12.6M

98.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,031 $5,031

$1,702 COP 5.4M

195.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,627 $5,627

$663 COP 2.1M

748.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

10.94

-39.31%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 61.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 71.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Huntington Beach, CA

$464 13%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 35.9% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huntington Beach, CA

$352 9.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 40.6% $143

Eating Out

Huntington Beach, CA

$316 8.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 46% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Huntington Beach, CA

$146 4.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 18.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Huntington Beach, CA

$74 2.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 20.4% $15

Getting Around

Huntington Beach, CA

$14 * 0.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 598% $82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 748% 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: $79.0 in Huntington Beach, CA vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $464 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

2 h ahead of Huntington Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,366

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

Huntington Beach, CA Medellin 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Huntington Beach, 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 748% higher in Huntington Beach, CA, 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: $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,183 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $790 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 $47.00 versus $79.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Huntington Beach, CA. 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 $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Huntington Beach, CA 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 119% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.