Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hearst and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,366 in Hearst versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Hearst versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,450 in Hearst versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Hearst is roughly 133% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 76% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 CA$23.23

$6.14 COP 22.2K

176.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$94.8

$33.05 COP 119.3K

109.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$7.32 COP 26.4K

50.41%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.22

$1.66 COP 5,987

129.52%

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

$2.04 CA$2.79

$1.10 COP 3,987

85.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.25

$0.78 COP 2,822

110.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 CA$7.61

$1.71 COP 6,188

225.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$3.17 COP 11.5K

88.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CA$2.98

$1.11 COP 4,012

96.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.62

$1.31 COP 4,719

101.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.87

$1.38 COP 4,980

157.97%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.82

$2.22 COP 8,009

58.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.53

$4.34 COP 15.7K

161.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 CA$16.00

$5.80 COP 20.9K

101.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$8.98 COP 32.4K

62.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$2.26 COP 8,164

77.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$1.11 COP 4,023

26.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.08

$1.46 COP 5,284

154.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$1.37 COP 4,929

175.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$1.11 COP 4,009

117.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.47

$1.16 COP 4,199

118.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.54

$0.89 COP 3,211

189.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.33

$0.87 COP 3,124

95.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 CA$18.97

$2.35 COP 8,495

489.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.04

$10.86 COP 39.2K

34.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.05

$1.20 COP 4,330

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.48 COP 8,946

22.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$0.79 COP 2,842

191.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$86.3

$40.77 COP 147.2K

54.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.46

$1.42 COP 5,137

128.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.05

$1.91 COP 6,900

-21.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.90 CA$35.48

$7.65 COP 27.6K

238.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$0.97 COP 3,490

20.62%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$18.1K COP 65.3M

37.19%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$26.3K COP 95.0M

-22.97%

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

$142 CA$195

$81.3 COP 293.5K

75.14%

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

$44.44 CA$60.9

$9.63 COP 34.8K

361.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$87.2

$24.36 COP 88.0K

161.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 CA$57.8

$26.02 COP 93.9K

62.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 CA$20.45

$18.92 COP 68.3K

-21.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$15.82

$3.89 COP 14.0K

196.92%

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

$745 CA$1,020

$304 COP 1.1M

144.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

96.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$73.3

$58.7 COP 211.8K

-8.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.97 CA$53.4

$32.48 COP 117.2K

19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$120

$102 COP 367.3K

-14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$108 COP 390.4K

0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 CA$1,834

$474 COP 1.7M

182.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 CA$1,638

$371 COP 1.3M

222.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 CA$2,773

$848 COP 3.1M

138.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CA$2,488

$716 COP 2.6M

153.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 CA$5,887

$2,871 COP 10.4M

49.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,214 CA$4,403

$1,375 COP 5.0M

133.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 CA$4,521

$542 COP 2.0M

509.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

13.43

-51.90%

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

Last update for Hearst: April 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Hearst and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 509% 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: $69 in Hearst vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $190 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

Hearst vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hearst and Medellin differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,366 vs $1,014 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hearst pays 509% 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: $1,339 in Hearst versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $745 in Hearst versus $304 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,366 in Hearst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hearst. 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 133% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.