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: $1,811 in Carrefour versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,726 in Carrefour versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,642 in Carrefour versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 79% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 35% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 HTG 1,926

$5.99 COP 21.4K

146.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 HTG 11.5K

$32.86 COP 117.4K

169.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 HTG 905

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-2.26%

Cappuccino

$1.67 HTG 218

$1.71 COP 6,115

-2.34%

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

$1.53 HTG 199

$1.10 COP 3,924

39.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 HTG 193

$0.78 COP 2,781

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 HTG 655

$1.68 COP 5,997

198.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 HTG 916

$3.07 COP 11.0K

128.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 HTG 201

$1.09 COP 3,906

41.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HTG 306

$1.26 COP 4,508

86.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 HTG 406

$1.38 COP 4,922

125.36%

Eggs

$2.71 HTG 354

$2.19 COP 7,827

23.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 HTG 979

$4.40 COP 15.7K

70.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 HTG 800

$5.63 COP 20.1K

8.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 HTG 1,566

$8.89 COP 31.8K

34.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 HTG 245

$2.34 COP 8,349

-19.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 HTG 319

$1.06 COP 3,777

130.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 HTG 115

$1.50 COP 5,374

-41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 HTG 305

$1.38 COP 4,924

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 HTG 796

$1.15 COP 4,111

429.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 HTG 133

$1.16 COP 4,155

-12.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 HTG 84.4

$0.89 COP 3,182

-26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 HTG 129

$0.84 COP 2,997

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 HTG 521

$2.28 COP 8,145

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 HTG 1,511

$10.64 COP 38.0K

8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.20 COP 4,284

-25.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 195

$2.47 COP 8,824

-39.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 HTG 24.83

$0.86 COP 3,056

-77.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 HTG 2,568

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-52.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.5

$1.47 COP 5,264

-73.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 HTG 50.5

$1.96 COP 7,009

-80.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 HTG 2,620

$7.74 COP 27.6K

159.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 HTG 167

$0.95 COP 3,409

34.74%

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

$40.1K HTG 5.2M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

121.25%

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

$44.4K HTG 5.8M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

67.80%

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

$98.6 HTG 12.9K

$82.3 COP 293.7K

19.84%

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

$50.1 HTG 6,540

$9.50 COP 33.9K

427.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$163 HTG 21.3K

$24.23 COP 86.5K

574.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 HTG 9,197

$25.89 COP 92.4K

172.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 HTG 2,625

$19.00 COP 67.9K

5.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 HTG 1,298

$3.93 COP 14.0K

152.93%

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

$99.8 HTG 13.0K

$309 COP 1.1M

-67.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,092 HTG 926.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

18.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 HTG 10.3K

$58.7 COP 209.5K

34.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 HTG 9,939

$32.35 COP 115.5K

135.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 HTG 16.0K

$103 COP 366.4K

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 HTG 19.4K

$108 COP 387.2K

37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 HTG 114.4K

$476 COP 1.7M

84.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 HTG 95.5K

$379 COP 1.4M

93.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 HTG 164.6K

$838 COP 3.0M

50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 HTG 141.8K

$724 COP 2.6M

50.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$746 HTG 97.5K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-73.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 HTG 76.9K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-51.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 HTG 182.5K

$512 COP 1.8M

173.04%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $876 in Carrefour and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 173% 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: $88.0 in Carrefour vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $188 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 79% in total monthly costs ($1,811 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carrefour pays 173% more on average, 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: $876 in Carrefour versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99.8 in Carrefour versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,811 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 79% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.