Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Hastings versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Hastings versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,467 in Hastings versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Hastings is roughly 151% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hastings is 93% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.98

$6.16 COP 20.1K

226.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.5

$32.60 COP 106.1K

141.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 £8.58

$7.34 COP 23.9K

57.08%

Cappuccino

$4.49 £3.34

$1.72 COP 5,600

161.05%

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

$2.69 £2.00

$1.05 COP 3,420

156.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.77 COP 2,515

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 £5.17

$1.69 COP 5,488

311.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 £4.92

$3.17 COP 10.3K

108.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 £0.52

$1.05 COP 3,423

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.30 COP 4,236

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$1.40 COP 4,544

92.14%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.45

$2.16 COP 7,047

52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 £7.10

$4.39 COP 14.3K

117.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.97

$5.88 COP 19.1K

59.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 £10.21

$8.64 COP 28.1K

58.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$2.28 COP 7,426

1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.11 COP 3,604

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 £1.77

$1.53 COP 4,983

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.58

$1.35 COP 4,410

157.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.13 COP 3,674

61.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.13 COP 3,692

7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$0.85 COP 2,753

10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$0.91 COP 2,975

153.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.34 £12.89

$2.34 COP 7,630

641.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 £4.84

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.15

$1.20 COP 3,909

140.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.50

$2.49 COP 8,104

34.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.99

$0.84 COP 2,728

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 £67.8

$40.57 COP 132.1K

124.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 £3.84

$1.42 COP 4,623

263.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.92 COP 6,235

-9.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.35 £30.76

$7.66 COP 24.9K

439.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$0.99 COP 3,223

89.90%

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

$20.2K £15.0K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

11.99%

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

$33.1K £24.6K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

24.28%

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

$340 £253

$80.8 COP 263.1K

320.62%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$9.95 COP 32.4K

84.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 £20.53

$24.18 COP 78.7K

14.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.98 £33.45

$25.08 COP 81.7K

79.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.08 £35.02

$19.15 COP 62.3K

145.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 £8.92

$3.98 COP 13.0K

201.26%

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

$1,559 £1,159

$305 COP 993.5K

410.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

198.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 £59.5

$58.1 COP 189.2K

37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 £30.86

$32.20 COP 104.8K

28.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.3

$101 COP 327.9K

16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 £108

$108 COP 350.8K

34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 £1,131

$477 COP 1.6M

218.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 £951

$376 COP 1.2M

239.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 £1,492

$845 COP 2.7M

137.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 £1,123

$730 COP 2.4M

106.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K £10.0K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

318.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 £2,454

$617 COP 2.0M

434.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

13.43

-58.15%

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

Last update for Hastings: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Hastings and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 435% 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: $79.0 in Hastings vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 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

Hastings vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings and Medellin differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($2,584 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 435% higher in Hastings, 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: $1,520 in Hastings versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,584 per month in Hastings versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 151% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 125% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,584 in Hastings, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hastings. 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 151% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.