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: $2,507 in Hamilton versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Hamilton versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Hamilton versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 148% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 87% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 CA$25.47

$5.99 COP 21.4K

207.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 CA$103

$32.86 COP 117.4K

127.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.02

$7.09 COP 25.3K

52.89%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.58

$1.71 COP 6,115

135.67%

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

$2.10 CA$2.90

$1.10 COP 3,924

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$0.78 COP 2,781

121.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.94

$1.68 COP 5,997

241.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$8.99

$3.07 COP 11.0K

111.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.09 COP 3,906

104.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.26 COP 4,508

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$1.38 COP 4,922

117.39%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.43

$2.19 COP 7,827

46.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 CA$10.74

$4.40 COP 15.7K

76.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.11

$5.63 COP 20.1K

106.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$19.89

$8.89 COP 31.8K

61.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.34

$2.34 COP 8,349

64.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$1.06 COP 3,777

23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.95

$1.50 COP 5,374

138.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.17

$1.38 COP 4,924

170.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.15 COP 4,111

129.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.04

$1.16 COP 4,155

89.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$0.89 COP 3,182

149.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$0.84 COP 2,997

138.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 CA$18.82

$2.28 COP 8,145

496.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

$10.64 COP 38.0K

22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$1.20 COP 4,284

105.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$2.47 COP 8,824

21.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$0.86 COP 3,056

197.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$119

$41.40 COP 147.9K

108.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.96

$1.47 COP 5,264

143.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.96 COP 7,009

-38.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 CA$33.94

$7.74 COP 27.6K

216.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$0.95 COP 3,409

21.05%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

37.64%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-20.94%

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

$150 CA$208

$82.3 COP 293.7K

82.46%

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

$38.86 CA$53.8

$9.50 COP 33.9K

309.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$73.3

$24.23 COP 86.5K

118.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 CA$50.5

$25.89 COP 92.4K

40.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

$19.00 COP 67.9K

15.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 CA$16.24

$3.93 COP 14.0K

198.47%

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

$644 CA$892

$309 COP 1.1M

108.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K CA$31.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

275.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.4

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-3.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 CA$47.14

$32.35 COP 115.5K

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$135

$103 COP 366.4K

-5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$167

$108 COP 387.2K

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,864

$476 COP 1.7M

182.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,808

$379 COP 1.4M

244.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 CA$2,846

$838 COP 3.0M

145.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,728

$724 COP 2.6M

172.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-1.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

$1,211 COP 4.3M

128.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 CA$4,037

$512 COP 1.8M

469.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

13.43

-50.71%

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

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 470% 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: $75.0 in Hamilton vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 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

Hamilton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hamilton pays 470% 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: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $644 in Hamilton 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 82% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,507 in Hamilton, a $1,500 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 148% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.