Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Horta Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Horta

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,317 in Horta, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,266 in Horta, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $3,215 in Horta, rent included.

Medellin costs about 25% more than Horta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Horta is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$14.03 €12.10

-42.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$49.72 €42.86

-2.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.75 €8.40

-3.38%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.04 €1.76

44.12%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.08 €1.79

-10.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.41 €1.21

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.92 €2.52

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.55 €3.06

60.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.14 €0.99

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.50 €1.30

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.63 €1.41

4.29%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.40 €2.93

-15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.43 €9.85

-11.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.84 €6.76

27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.94 €12.88

-4.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.33 €2.00

70.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.42 €1.23

11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.94 €1.67

10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.65 €2.28

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.79 €1.54

11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.02 €1.74

-25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.65 €1.42

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.87 €0.75

47.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.43 €5.55

-40.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$4.89 €4.21

186.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.31 €1.13

30.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.16 €1.86

26.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$2.28 €1.97

-45.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$42.14 €36.33

84.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.98 €3.43

-67.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.11 €0.96

95.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$17.63 €15.19

-52.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.18 €1.88

-37.61%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$35.2K €30.3K

-21.92%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$38.9K €33.6K

-6.13%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$130 €112

29.89%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$20.85 €17.97

-34.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$61.5 €53.0

-53.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$43.37 €37.39

5.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.53 €7.35

-22.04%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$504 €435

59.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.1K €9,603

-17.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$80.2 €69.1

8.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$38.22 €32.94

55.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$85.7 €73.9

62.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$106 €91.5

-3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$494 €426

116.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$412 €355

58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$732 €631

162.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,233 €1,063

-15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,159 €2,723

30.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,397 €2,067

-29.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$935 €806

-29.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.64

200.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Horta: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $494 in Horta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Horta, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $50.0 in Horta. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $253 in Horta – so Horta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Horta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Medellin, $1,317 in Horta – roughly 25% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,976 in Horta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Horta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Horta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $803 per month in Medellin and $504 in Horta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Horta, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Horta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,317 in Horta to $1,641 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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