Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Paso, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,120 in El Paso, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in El Paso, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in El Paso, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,120 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
El Paso, TX $2,120

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,183 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
El Paso, TX $3,183

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,246 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
El Paso, TX $4,246

Medellin is about 23% cheaper than El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and El Paso, TX sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, El Paso, TX by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$18.60 $18.60

-56.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$78.2 $78.2

-39.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$12.23 $12.23

-22.32%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$6.11 $6.11

-50.74%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.38 $2.38

-24.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.56 $1.56

-9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.82 $5.82

-45.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.84 $6.84

-15.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.87 $0.87

73.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.01 $3.01

-20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.47 $2.47

-28.34%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.60 $3.60

-19.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.11 $12.11

-15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$11.74 $11.74

-15.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$13.03 $13.03

7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.51 $3.51

13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.46 $1.46

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.61 $2.61

-16.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.56 $3.56

-38.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.16 $2.16

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.83 $2.83

-43.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.76 $1.76

-34.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.57 $1.57

-21.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$9.86 $9.86

-59.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.78 $9.78

39.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.01 $2.01

-17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$4.92 $4.92

-54.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.52 $1.52

-23.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$48.34 $48.34

60.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.67 $1.67

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.37 $1.37

49.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$27.43 $27.43

-68.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.91 $0.91

48.35%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.6K $27.6K

23.56%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$25.7K $25.7K

34.76%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$162 $162

4.96%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$72.6 $72.6

-81.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$67.4 $67.4

-58.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$17.51 $17.51

149.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$8.44 $8.44

103.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.15 $12.15

-43.13%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$689 $689

15.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,862 $6,862

32.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$46.41 $46.41

82.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$35.88 $35.88

61.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$103 $103

30.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$178 $178

-45.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,050 $1,050

15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$904 $904

-29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,569 $1,569

29.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,497 $1,497

-32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,983 $1,983

110.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,681 $1,681

13.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,323 $3,323

-80.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.51

68.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for El Paso, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

El Paso, TX

$904 42.6% 40.8% $262

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

El Paso, TX

$329 15.5% 10.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

El Paso, TX

$302 14.2% 42.7% $90

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

El Paso, TX

$317 15% 87.1% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

El Paso, TX

$164 7.7% 3.1% $5.2

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

El Paso, TX

$63 3% 32.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

El Paso, TX

$42 2% 27.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,050 in El Paso, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in El Paso, TX are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $78 in El Paso, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $329 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

22:30 10:30 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

678,815

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin El Paso, TX 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
El Paso, TX

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

Medellin vs El Paso, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Paso, TX costs about 29% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,180 in El Paso, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Paso, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,050 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,120 in El Paso, TX. That makes Medellin about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 38% less in El Paso, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,120 in El Paso, TX, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,120 in El Paso, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, El Paso, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.