Cost of Living Comparison Between Carrefour and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Carrefour and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,828 in Carrefour versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,675 in Carrefour versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,523 in Carrefour versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 77% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 37% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.81 HTG 1,928

$6.16 COP 20.1K

140.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 HTG 11.6K

$32.60 COP 106.1K

173.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 HTG 933

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-2.32%

Cappuccino

$1.63 HTG 213

$1.72 COP 5,600

-5.23%

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

$1.57 HTG 204

$1.05 COP 3,420

49.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 HTG 194

$0.77 COP 2,515

93.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 HTG 657

$1.69 COP 5,488

198.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 HTG 921

$3.17 COP 10.3K

123.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 HTG 195

$1.05 COP 3,423

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HTG 306

$1.30 COP 4,236

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 HTG 409

$1.40 COP 4,544

124.29%

Eggs

$2.73 HTG 355

$2.16 COP 7,047

26.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 HTG 1,014

$4.39 COP 14.3K

77.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 HTG 777

$5.88 COP 19.1K

1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 HTG 1,524

$8.64 COP 28.1K

35.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 HTG 242

$2.28 COP 7,426

-18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 HTG 321

$1.11 COP 3,604

122.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 HTG 122

$1.53 COP 4,983

-39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 HTG 307

$1.35 COP 4,410

74.81%

Potato (1kg)

$6.22 HTG 810

$1.13 COP 3,674

450.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 HTG 127

$1.13 COP 3,692

-14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 HTG 84.1

$0.85 COP 2,753

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 HTG 133

$0.91 COP 2,975

12.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 HTG 524

$2.34 COP 7,630

71.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 HTG 1,514

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 HTG 113

$1.20 COP 3,909

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 196

$2.49 COP 8,104

-39.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 HTG 27.59

$0.84 COP 2,728

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 HTG 2,570

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-51.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 HTG 47.08

$1.42 COP 4,623

-74.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 HTG 54.3

$1.92 COP 6,235

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 HTG 2,562

$7.66 COP 24.9K

156.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 HTG 161

$0.99 COP 3,223

24.24%

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

$40.7K HTG 5.3M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

125.76%

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

$45.0K HTG 5.9M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

68.91%

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

$99.5 HTG 13.0K

$80.8 COP 263.1K

23.18%

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

$49.62 HTG 6,461

$9.95 COP 32.4K

398.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$167 HTG 21.7K

$24.18 COP 78.7K

589.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 HTG 9,284

$25.08 COP 81.7K

184.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 HTG 2,626

$19.15 COP 62.3K

5.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 HTG 1,323

$3.98 COP 13.0K

155.28%

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

$98.4 HTG 12.8K

$305 COP 993.5K

-67.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,896 HTG 897.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

13.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 HTG 10.4K

$58.1 COP 189.2K

37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 HTG 9,873

$32.20 COP 104.8K

135.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 HTG 15.6K

$101 COP 327.9K

18.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 HTG 19.4K

$108 COP 350.8K

38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 HTG 113.0K

$477 COP 1.6M

82.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 HTG 93.0K

$376 COP 1.2M

89.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 HTG 168.7K

$845 COP 2.7M

53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 HTG 141.5K

$730 COP 2.4M

48.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$775 HTG 100.9K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-75.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$610 HTG 79.4K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-55.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,409 HTG 183.5K

$617 COP 2.0M

128.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.69%

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

Last update for Carrefour: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Carrefour and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 128% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Carrefour vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $193 per month, with Medellin 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

Carrefour vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carrefour and Medellin differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,828 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 128% higher in Carrefour, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $868 in Carrefour versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.4 in Carrefour versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,828 in Carrefour, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Carrefour. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.