Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Howick Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Howick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $887 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,352 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,818 in Howick.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Howick 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.30 R 54.5

86.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$27.64 R 456

17.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.40 R 56.1

115.88%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.98 R 32.74

-13.13%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.57 R 9.44

84.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.43 R 7.06

79.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.91 R 31.47

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.27 R 37.45

39.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.03 R 17.00

1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.87 R 14.36

49.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.10 R 18.22

27.27%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.21 R 36.42

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.14 R 84.8

-14.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.27 R 37.45

159.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$5.03 R 83.0

71.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.50 R 24.78

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.14 R 18.88

-2.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.31 R 21.70

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.09 R 17.99

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.85 R 14.04

32.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.23 R 20.29

-8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.98 R 16.14

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.97 R 15.93

-6.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.13 R 51.6

-25.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.98 R 82.3

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.09 R 17.96

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.13 R 18.66

120.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$1.63 R 26.94

-48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.63 R 26.92

-12.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.63 R 10.37

204.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.62 R 109

15.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.23 R 20.31

-19.51%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$14.2K R 234.6K

26.82%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$22.6K R 372.5K

17.96%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$145 R 2,400

-44.43%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.94 R 230

-28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$34.12 R 563

-29.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$30.67 R 506

-18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.65 R 93.3

-29.56%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$102 R 1,678

200.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,645 R 76.7K

30.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$41.49 R 685

40.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$14.09 R 233

128.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$84.2 R 1,390

19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$44.67 R 737

141.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$365 R 6,022

30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$338 R 5,571

11.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$692 R 11.4K

22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$697 R 11.5K

4.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$719 R 11.9K

347.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$749 R 12.4K

83.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.01

11.82%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Howick: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $365 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $137 per month, with Howick 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

Medellin vs Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,330 in Howick 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $365 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $102 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $887 in Howick versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.