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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,096 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,704 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,312 in Howick.

Living in Medellin is roughly 50% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Howick is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$7.61 R 122

5.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$39.44 R 631

22.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$5.68 R 90.8

65.85%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.85 R 45.55

3.16%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$1.13 R 18.10

64.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.95 R 15.15

53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$2.57 R 41.15

24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.60 R 41.65

119.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.25 R 20.06

15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.07 R 17.12

124.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$1.56 R 25.02

8.97%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$2.46 R 39.39

17.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$8.59 R 137

17.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$5.35 R 85.6

86.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$7.24 R 116

96.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.00 R 32.05

99.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.99 R 31.77

-20.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$2.05 R 32.80

4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.72 R 27.47

33.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.60 R 25.53

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.46 R 23.29

3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.26 R 20.15

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$1.24 R 19.83

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$3.82 R 61.2

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$5.01 R 80.2

179.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.52 R 24.37

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$1.98 R 31.76

38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$1.65 R 26.43

-24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.49 R 7.88

167.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.77 R 12.26

181.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$7.97 R 128

4.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.39 R 22.22

-2.16%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$36.6K R 585.1K

-24.87%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$32.8K R 524.7K

11.42%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$143 R 2,293

17.76%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$15.71 R 251

-13.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$40.22 R 644

-29.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$30.36 R 486

50.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$7.10 R 114

-6.34%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$325 R 5,202

147.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$7,921 R 126.7K

16.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$56.3 R 901

55.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$30.93 R 495

91.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$101 R 1,610

38.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$89.5 R 1,432

14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$387 R 6,194

176.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$391 R 6,249

67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$832 R 13.3K

131.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$750 R 12.0K

39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$1,017 R 16.3K

305.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$667 R 10.7K

154.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.81

-7.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $202 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,644 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $325 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 $39.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,641 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 50% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.