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: $2,493 in Hamilton versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Hamilton versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Hamilton versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 142% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 87% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 CA$25.41

$6.16 COP 20.0K

194.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$103

$32.60 COP 106.0K

124.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.39

$7.34 COP 23.9K

49.59%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.68

$1.72 COP 5,592

135.47%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.05 COP 3,416

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$0.77 COP 2,511

135.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 CA$8.17

$1.69 COP 5,480

244.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.23

$3.17 COP 10.3K

107.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.05 COP 3,418

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$1.30 COP 4,230

63.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$1.40 COP 4,538

103.57%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$2.16 COP 7,037

45.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 CA$10.85

$4.39 COP 14.3K

76.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.21

$5.88 COP 19.1K

96.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.18

$8.64 COP 28.1K

66.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.48

$2.28 COP 7,415

71.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.11 COP 3,599

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.97

$1.53 COP 4,976

132.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.47

$1.35 COP 4,405

188.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.67

$1.13 COP 3,669

131.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$1.13 COP 3,687

93.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$0.85 COP 2,749

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.80

$0.91 COP 2,971

118.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CA$18.88

$2.34 COP 7,619

475.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.71

$12.37 COP 40.2K

2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$1.20 COP 3,904

100.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.49 COP 8,094

23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$0.84 COP 2,724

211.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$123

$40.57 COP 131.9K

115.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$1.42 COP 4,617

149.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.92 COP 6,227

-36.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 CA$33.12

$7.66 COP 24.9K

208.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$0.99 COP 3,219

15.15%

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

$25.4K CA$35.6K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

40.78%

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

$20.4K CA$28.6K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-23.33%

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

$155 CA$218

$80.8 COP 262.7K

92.29%

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

$40.11 CA$56.2

$9.95 COP 32.3K

303.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.7

$24.18 COP 78.6K

111.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 CA$51.6

$25.08 COP 81.5K

46.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.40

$19.15 COP 62.3K

16.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.22

$3.98 COP 13.0K

190.70%

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

$643 CA$901

$305 COP 992.2K

110.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

257.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$78.5

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 CA$47.26

$32.20 COP 104.7K

4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 CA$136

$101 COP 327.5K

-4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$170

$108 COP 350.3K

12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 CA$1,895

$477 COP 1.5M

183.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 CA$1,778

$376 COP 1.2M

237.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,785

$845 COP 2.7M

135.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,835

$730 COP 2.4M

176.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 CA$3,800

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-15.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,854

$1,372 COP 4.5M

100.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 CA$4,025

$617 COP 2.0M

365.47%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Hamilton and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 365% 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: $73.0 in Hamilton vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 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

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 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 365% 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: $1,352 in Hamilton versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Hamilton 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 77% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,493 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 142% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.