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: $1,806 in Carrefour versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,698 in Carrefour versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Carrefour versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 5% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carrefour 31% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 HTG 1,973

$8.03 COP 25.1K

88.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.3 HTG 11.9K

$48.26 COP 150.8K

89.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 HTG 932

$9.77 COP 30.5K

-26.82%

Cappuccino

$1.64 HTG 214

$2.91 COP 9,095

-43.64%

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

$1.56 HTG 204

$1.94 COP 6,074

-19.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 HTG 199

$1.52 COP 4,754

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 HTG 666

$3.09 COP 9,663

65.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 HTG 939

$5.74 COP 17.9K

25.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HTG 194

$1.36 COP 4,262

9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 HTG 296

$2.39 COP 7,460

-5.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 HTG 389

$1.70 COP 5,314

75.88%

Eggs

$2.74 HTG 357

$2.87 COP 8,967

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 HTG 1,016

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-21.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 HTG 777

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-44.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 HTG 1,564

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-18.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 HTG 247

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-53.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 HTG 323

$1.57 COP 4,911

57.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 HTG 116

$2.13 COP 6,642

-58.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 HTG 295

$2.21 COP 6,917

2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 HTG 794

$2.05 COP 6,396

197.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 HTG 133

$1.50 COP 4,700

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 HTG 85.9

$1.19 COP 3,718

-44.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 HTG 128

$1.16 COP 3,619

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 HTG 519

$3.90 COP 12.2K

2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 HTG 1,511

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.58 COP 4,948

-43.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 HTG 205

$2.83 COP 8,836

-44.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 HTG 27.99

$1.17 COP 3,650

-82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.19 HTG 2,632

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-74.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.0

$1.28 COP 4,014

-69.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 HTG 53.8

$2.09 COP 6,537

-80.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 HTG 2,613

$8.62 COP 26.9K

132.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 HTG 158

$1.30 COP 4,056

-6.92%

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

$40.2K HTG 5.2M

$27.7K COP 86.4M

45.37%

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

$45.3K HTG 5.9M

$35.5K COP 110.9M

27.71%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$176 COP 550.1K

-42.72%

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

$50.6 HTG 6,598

$13.37 COP 41.8K

278.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$164 HTG 21.4K

$29.89 COP 93.4K

449.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 HTG 9,156

$44.76 COP 139.8K

56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 HTG 2,627

$17.06 COP 53.3K

18.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 HTG 1,325

$6.20 COP 19.4K

63.87%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$793 COP 2.5M

-87.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,994 HTG 911.9K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 HTG 10.4K

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-6.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.3 HTG 9,686

$58.5 COP 182.7K

27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 HTG 15.8K

$136 COP 425.9K

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 HTG 19.8K

$103 COP 322.2K

47.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 HTG 116.9K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 HTG 95.4K

$680 COP 2.1M

7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 HTG 168.6K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 HTG 137.5K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 HTG 98.9K

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-81.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 HTG 79.7K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-64.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,400 HTG 182.5K

$665 COP 2.1M

110.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

37.11%

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

Last update for Carrefour: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $897 in Carrefour and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 110% 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: $91.0 in Carrefour vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $303, with Carrefour cheaper for home cooking.

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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,806 vs $1,716 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $897 in Carrefour versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $101 in Carrefour versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Carrefour pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,806 in Carrefour, a $2,500 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 5% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.