Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,321 in Hamilton versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Hamilton versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Hamilton versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 35% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 69% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 CA$25.54

$8.03 COP 25.3K

128.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 CA$94.7

$48.26 COP 152.3K

41.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 CA$17.38

$9.77 COP 30.8K

28.05%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.94

$2.91 COP 9,185

22.34%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$1.94 COP 6,134

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$1.52 COP 4,801

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CA$7.20

$3.09 COP 9,759

67.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.04

$5.74 COP 18.1K

13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.85

$1.36 COP 4,304

50.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.09

$2.39 COP 7,534

-7.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$1.70 COP 5,366

67.06%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.78

$2.87 COP 9,056

19.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 CA$10.52

$9.94 COP 31.4K

-23.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.46

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.52

$14.73 COP 46.5K

-4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.44

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.57 COP 4,960

-18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.93

$2.13 COP 6,708

100.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.45

$2.21 COP 6,985

77.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$2.05 COP 6,460

28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.43

$1.50 COP 4,747

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$1.19 COP 3,755

96.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.16 COP 3,654

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.76

$3.90 COP 12.3K

264.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$18.15

$14.44 COP 45.6K

-9.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.31

$1.58 COP 4,997

50.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.82

$2.83 COP 8,923

48.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$1.17 COP 3,686

134.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 CA$122

$77.7 COP 245.3K

12.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.86

$1.28 COP 4,054

173.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$2.09 COP 6,602

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$32.62

$8.62 COP 27.2K

172.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.30 COP 4,096

-8.46%

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

$28.9K CA$40.2K

$27.7K COP 87.3M

4.52%

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

$20.1K CA$27.9K

$35.5K COP 112.0M

-43.47%

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

$151 CA$209

$176 COP 555.6K

-14.42%

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

$40.12 CA$55.8

$13.37 COP 42.2K

200.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.1

$29.89 COP 94.3K

71.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 CA$52.3

$44.76 COP 141.2K

-15.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.96

$17.06 COP 53.8K

26.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 CA$14.27

$6.20 COP 19.6K

65.65%

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

$615 CA$855

$793 COP 2.5M

-22.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.1K

$9,019 COP 28.5M

84.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$69.8

$85.6 COP 270.1K

-41.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 CA$47.94

$58.5 COP 184.5K

-41.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$128

$136 COP 430.1K

-32.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$103 COP 325.4K

17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,834

$1,060 COP 3.3M

24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,683

$680 COP 2.1M

78.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,867

$2,012 COP 6.3M

2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,680

$1,169 COP 3.7M

65.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 CA$3,910

$4,111 COP 13.0M

-31.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 CA$3,902

$1,701 COP 5.4M

65.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 CA$4,047

$665 COP 2.1M

337.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

10.94

-57.95%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Hamilton and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 338% 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: $68.0 in Hamilton vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $303 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

Hamilton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 338% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,320 in Hamilton versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,321 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.