Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Arthur, TX and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $2,634
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,860 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $3,860
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,086 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $5,086
Medellin $3,186

Port Arthur, TX costs about 61% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Arthur, TX and Medellin sit above the global median – Port Arthur, TX by 94%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 $18.63

$8.09 COP 25.4K

130.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$47.05 COP 148.0K

57.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$9.50 COP 29.9K

17.89%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$3.01 COP 9,485

64.78%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.80 COP 5,660

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.41 COP 4,443

37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.18 COP 9,990

93.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$5.75 COP 18.1K

20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.51 COP 4,751

-31.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.38 COP 7,480

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.77 COP 5,573

144.07%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.89 COP 9,093

39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$10.19 COP 32.1K

21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$9.87 COP 31.1K

17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$13.99 COP 44.0K

11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.97 COP 12.5K

22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.55 COP 4,883

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.18 COP 6,867

95.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.18 COP 6,870

115.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.96 COP 6,174

47.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.59 COP 5,000

82.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.15 COP 3,604

83.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.24 COP 3,911

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.43 $9.43

$3.96 COP 12.5K

138.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 $13.75

$13.68 COP 43.0K

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.66 COP 5,221

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.26 COP 7,103

45.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.17 COP 3,674

72.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 $66.3

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-14.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.27 COP 3,989

177.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.05 COP 6,442

-21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 $29.41

$8.55 COP 26.9K

243.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.35 COP 4,237

-37.04%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-11.78%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-25.04%

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

$190 $190

$170 COP 533.7K

12.28%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$13.55 COP 42.6K

292.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$28.07 COP 88.3K

135.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 $43.60

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$6.91 COP 21.7K

98.70%

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

$1,279 $1,279

$797 COP 2.5M

60.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

156.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-40.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 $39.34

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$135 COP 424.6K

-35.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$97.9 COP 307.9K

15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$1,208 COP 3.8M

34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$642 COP 2.0M

109.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$2,028 COP 6.4M

27.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$1,012 COP 3.2M

121.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,790 $2,790

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-33.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$1,910 COP 6.0M

25.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

10.94

-40.49%

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

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 51.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 52.3% $704

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$387 14.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 23.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 31.8% $99

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$305 11.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 44.3% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$130 5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 29.7% $39

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$86 3.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 8.9% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$71 2.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 19% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Port Arthur, TX versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

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).

COP to USD in detail →

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Port Arthur, TX Medellin 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, TX
Medellin

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

Port Arthur, TX vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Arthur, TX is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,951 per month in Port Arthur, TX and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Port Arthur, TX and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 61%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Port Arthur, TX at $2,634. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Arthur, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.