Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,646 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,040 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,434 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Huntington Beach, CA is roughly 112% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Huntington Beach, CA 165% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.72 $15.72

$8.03 COP 25.1K

95.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$48.26 COP 150.8K

107.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.17 $15.17

$9.77 COP 30.5K

55.27%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$2.91 COP 9,095

109.97%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$1.94 COP 6,074

64.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.52 COP 4,754

49.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 $7.35

$3.09 COP 9,663

137.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.74 COP 17.9K

38.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.36 COP 4,262

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.39 COP 7,460

88.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.70 COP 5,314

160.00%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.87 COP 8,967

75.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$9.94 COP 31.1K

56.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$10.78 COP 33.7K

61.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$14.73 COP 46.0K

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.09 COP 12.8K

31.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.57 COP 4,911

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.13 COP 6,642

92.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$2.21 COP 6,917

192.76%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.05 COP 6,396

111.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.50 COP 4,700

132.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.19 COP 3,718

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.16 COP 3,619

96.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 $10.99

$3.90 COP 12.2K

181.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$14.44 COP 45.1K

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.58 COP 4,948

29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.83 COP 8,836

-10.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.17 COP 3,650

155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.72 $49.72

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-36.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.28 COP 4,014

242.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.09 COP 6,537

-12.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.08 $36.08

$8.62 COP 26.9K

318.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.30 COP 4,056

13.08%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

31.51%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-27.35%

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

$235 $235

$176 COP 550.1K

33.73%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$13.37 COP 41.8K

367.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$29.89 COP 93.4K

138.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 $45.57

$44.76 COP 139.8K

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$6.20 COP 19.4K

126.13%

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

$1,447 $1,447

$793 COP 2.5M

82.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.5K $37.5K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

315.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-14.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 $40.27

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-31.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$136 COP 425.9K

-41.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$103 COP 322.2K

20.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 $2,657

$1,060 COP 3.3M

150.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 $2,208

$680 COP 2.1M

224.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,032 $5,032

$2,012 COP 6.3M

150.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,180 $5,180

$1,169 COP 3.7M

343.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,980 $7,980

$4,111 COP 12.8M

94.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,034 $5,034

$1,701 COP 5.3M

195.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,540 $5,540

$665 COP 2.1M

732.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

10.94

-42.96%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,657 in Huntington Beach, CA and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 733% 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: $100 in Huntington Beach, CA vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 112% 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 733% 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: $2,657 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Huntington Beach, CA. 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 $48.00 versus $100 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $3,646 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 $1,716 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 112% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.