Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho: $683 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Ho, Ghana
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Ho
🇬🇭 Ghana
$683
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ho

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 Ho actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $683 in Ho.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Ho $683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,149 in Ho.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Ho $1,149

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,615 in Ho.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Ho $1,615

Living in Medellin is roughly 140% more expensive than in Ho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ho is 50% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$8.69 GHS 101
-6.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$51.2 GHS 593
-8.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$10.18 GHS 118
-6.68%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$4.50 GHS 52.1
-33.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$1.56 GHS 18.07
15.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.47 GHS 5.48
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$1.84 GHS 21.27
72.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$2.20 GHS 25.49
161.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$3.57 GHS 41.36
-57.70%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.66 GHS 19.21
43.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$3.10 GHS 35.89
-42.90%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$2.60 GHS 30.13
11.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$11.85 GHS 137
-14.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$7.48 GHS 86.6
31.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$10.09 GHS 117
38.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$3.75 GHS 43.37
5.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.41 GHS 16.27
9.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$1.78 GHS 20.60
22.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$3.53 GHS 40.89
-38.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$2.79 GHS 32.32
-29.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$2.78 GHS 32.19
-42.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$0.75 GHS 8.63
53.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.58 GHS 6.68
113.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$2.53 GHS 29.31
56.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$7.03 GHS 81.5
94.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.29 GHS 14.95
28.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.40 GHS 27.79
-5.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Ho
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$1.75 GHS 20.22
-27.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.32 GHS 15.28
55.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$4.37 GHS 50.6
95.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.36 GHS 15.69
-0.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$7,868 GHS 91.1K
333.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$20.2K GHS 234.5K
71.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$74.6 GHS 863
127.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$19.63 GHS 227
-30.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$43.36 GHS 502
-35.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$13.15 GHS 152
-47.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$463 GHS 5,366
71.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$18.8K GHS 218.1K
-51.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$14.51 GHS 168
483.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$18.97 GHS 220
205.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$36.41 GHS 422
270.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$53.2 GHS 616
84.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Ho
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Ho
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
26.75
-59.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ho: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Ho
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Ho
$279 5.9% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Ho
$138 34.9% $74
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Ho
$176 3.6% $6.2
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Ho
$55 67.2% $114
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Ho
$8.3 * 91.1% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Ho
$26 * 54.3% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $51 in Ho. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $279, with Ho cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇭 Ho
🕒 Local time
12:42 12:42 PM
17:42 5:42 PM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
83,715
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 11.58 GHS (100 GHS = 8.64 USD). 1 EUR = 12.89 GHS (100 GHS = 7.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Ho 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Ho

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 Ho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Ho?
Medellin and Ho differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $683 including rent). Ho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Ho?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,024 in Ho 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Ho?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $463 in Ho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $51 in Ho. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $683 in Ho versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Ho but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Ho?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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