Cost of Living Comparison Between Havana and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Havana and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $964 in Havana versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,538 in Havana versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Havana versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Havana costs roughly 5% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Havana 28% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 CUP 89.0

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-38.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 CUP 714

$32.86 COP 117.2K

-9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 CUP 155

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-8.74%

Cappuccino

$1.24 CUP 29.75

$1.71 COP 6,105

-27.49%

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

$2.22 CUP 53.4

$1.10 COP 3,918

101.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CUP 36.56

$0.78 COP 2,776

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 CUP 48.25

$1.68 COP 5,987

19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 CUP 59.1

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-19.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.36 CUP 80.7

$1.09 COP 3,899

208.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 CUP 25.70

$1.26 COP 4,500

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 CUP 56.4

$1.38 COP 4,914

70.29%

Eggs

$3.56 CUP 85.5

$2.19 COP 7,813

62.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.93 CUP 118

$4.40 COP 15.7K

12.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 CUP 127

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-6.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 CUP 229

$8.89 COP 31.7K

7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 CUP 121

$2.34 COP 8,334

114.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CUP 33.13

$1.06 COP 3,771

30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 CUP 58.2

$1.50 COP 5,365

61.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CUP 40.54

$1.38 COP 4,915

22.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CUP 67.4

$1.15 COP 4,104

144.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 CUP 66.5

$1.16 COP 4,148

138.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.57

$0.89 COP 3,176

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CUP 27.35

$0.84 COP 2,992

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 CUP 93.6

$2.28 COP 8,131

71.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 CUP 95.3

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-62.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 CUP 50.2

$1.20 COP 4,276

74.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 CUP 46.22

$2.47 COP 8,809

-21.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 CUP 30.74

$0.86 COP 3,051

48.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.77 CUP 595

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-40.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CUP 75.0

$1.47 COP 5,255

112.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 CUP 11.53

$1.96 COP 6,997

-75.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.13 CUP 363

$7.74 COP 27.6K

95.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CUP 30.30

$0.95 COP 3,403

32.63%

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

$60.5K CUP 1.5M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

233.42%

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

$66.9K CUP 1.6M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

152.51%

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

$37.68 CUP 904

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-54.19%

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

$40.35 CUP 968

$9.50 COP 33.9K

324.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 CUP 1,782

$24.23 COP 86.4K

206.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.12 CUP 963

$25.89 COP 92.3K

54.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.12 CUP 147

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-67.79%

Cinema Ticket

$0.88 CUP 21.16

$3.93 COP 14.0K

-77.61%

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

$114 CUP 2,741

$309 COP 1.1M

-63.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K CUP 242.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

69.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.14 CUP 963

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.68 CUP 808

$32.35 COP 115.3K

4.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 CUP 1,802

$103 COP 365.7K

-26.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 CUP 2,027

$108 COP 386.5K

-22.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 CUP 8,905

$476 COP 1.7M

-22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 CUP 6,982

$379 COP 1.4M

-23.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CUP 24.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 CUP 14.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

-17.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$335 CUP 8,037

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-88.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$406 CUP 9,742

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-66.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$33.02 CUP 792

$512 COP 1.8M

-93.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

13.43

-44.68%

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

Last update for Havana: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Havana and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1450% 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: $30.00 in Havana vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $188, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Havana vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Havana and Medellin differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($964 vs $1,013 including rent). Havana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 1450% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $371 in Havana versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Havana – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $964 per month in Havana versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $964 in Havana versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Havana 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 Havana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.