Cost of Living Comparison Between Hasselt and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hasselt and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,124 per month in Hasselt vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,109 per month in Hasselt vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,094 per month in Hasselt vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Hasselt costs about 109% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Hasselt sits 59% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.98 €20.20

$5.93 COP 19.1K

287.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €81.5

$33.12 COP 106.6K

179.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 €11.39

$7.12 COP 22.9K

82.02%

Cappuccino

$3.87 €3.40

$1.71 COP 5,487

126.32%

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

$3.36 €2.95

$1.05 COP 3,374

220.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.66

$0.72 COP 2,324

320.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.53

$1.72 COP 5,531

199.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.00

$3.17 COP 10.2K

43.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.06 COP 3,426

24.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 €2.41

$1.31 COP 4,215

109.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.32

$1.33 COP 4,279

98.50%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.24

$2.28 COP 7,338

61.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 €15.55

$4.42 COP 14.2K

300.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 €8.84

$5.92 COP 19.0K

69.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.40 €19.70

$8.64 COP 27.8K

159.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.08

$2.34 COP 7,545

0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.07

$1.10 COP 3,546

114.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.97

$1.47 COP 4,724

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.38 COP 4,439

68.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.97

$1.17 COP 3,774

91.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.17 COP 3,765

42.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 €0.85

$0.90 COP 2,905

7.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$0.84 COP 2,708

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 €11.24

$2.33 COP 7,490

448.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 €8.24

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.54

$1.15 COP 3,693

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.42 COP 7,791

-16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.50

$0.84 COP 2,702

238.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.06 €29.94

$40.83 COP 131.4K

-16.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 €5.10

$1.41 COP 4,541

312.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 €2.20

$1.91 COP 6,160

31.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.71 €33.15

$7.83 COP 25.2K

381.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.67

$0.94 COP 3,037

102.13%

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

$35.4K €31.2K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

98.87%

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

$33.0K €29.0K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

21.81%

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

$201 €177

$83.3 COP 267.9K

141.90%

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

$20.83 €18.31

$9.66 COP 31.1K

115.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 €45.54

$24.22 COP 77.9K

113.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.25 €24.84

$25.22 COP 81.2K

12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.28 €8.16

$19.33 COP 62.2K

-51.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 €13.45

$4.07 COP 13.1K

275.92%

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

$660 €581

$307 COP 986.5K

115.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.9K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

125.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €97.5

$60.0 COP 192.9K

84.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.12 €42.30

$32.65 COP 105.1K

47.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €102

$101 COP 325.2K

14.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €117

$108 COP 347.6K

23.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 €858

$476 COP 1.5M

104.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 €743

$379 COP 1.2M

123.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 €1,272

$816 COP 2.6M

77.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,060

$707 COP 2.3M

70.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,730 €4,159

$3,190 COP 10.3M

48.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,433 €2,139

$1,446 COP 4.7M

68.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,104 €2,729

$622 COP 2.0M

399.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

13.43

-75.65%

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

Last update for Hasselt: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in Hasselt versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 399% higher in Hasselt, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Hasselt versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $192 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Hasselt vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,124 in Hasselt, $1,018 in Medellin – roughly 109% apart. Hasselt costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,186 per month in Hasselt and $1,527 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $660 per month in Hasselt and $307 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Hasselt, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in Hasselt at $2,124. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hasselt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,018 in Medellin to $2,124 in Hasselt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hasselt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.