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: $2,336 in Hearst versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,406 in Hearst versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,476 in Hearst versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Hearst is roughly 133% more expensive than in 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

$17.18 CA$24.11

$5.91 COP 18.9K

190.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 CA$98.9

$32.96 COP 105.2K

113.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 CA$15.54

$7.43 COP 23.7K

48.99%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.19

$1.65 COP 5,276

124.24%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$1.10 COP 3,514

85.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.78 COP 2,491

119.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 CA$7.64

$1.72 COP 5,484

216.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CA$8.42

$3.18 COP 10.1K

88.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.05

$1.10 COP 3,521

97.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.81

$1.26 COP 4,015

115.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.10

$1.38 COP 4,407

163.04%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.75

$2.18 COP 6,950

55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.77

$4.49 COP 14.3K

150.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.20

$5.79 COP 18.5K

99.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$21.01

$8.97 COP 28.6K

66.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.81

$2.32 COP 7,405

78.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.06 COP 3,397

28.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.25

$1.52 COP 4,838

146.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.22

$1.36 COP 4,327

173.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.13 COP 3,599

123.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$1.17 COP 3,738

117.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$0.90 COP 2,876

193.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.49

$0.90 COP 2,861

96.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 CA$19.23

$2.23 COP 7,128

514.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CA$19.20

$12.12 COP 38.7K

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.06

$1.19 COP 3,793

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.29

$2.48 COP 7,920

23.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$0.85 COP 2,723

174.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 CA$89.4

$41.62 COP 132.8K

52.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 CA$4.54

$1.42 COP 4,518

128.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.95 COP 6,223

-23.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.10 CA$36.63

$7.89 COP 25.2K

230.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$0.99 COP 3,160

17.17%

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

$25.3K CA$35.5K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

43.60%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-23.25%

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

$143 CA$200

$83.0 COP 264.9K

72.05%

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

$44.36 CA$62.3

$9.70 COP 30.9K

357.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 CA$87.9

$23.52 COP 75.0K

166.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.69 CA$58.5

$25.26 COP 80.6K

65.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.81 CA$20.79

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.08

$3.95 COP 12.6K

190.13%

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

$733 CA$1,029

$316 COP 1.0M

132.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.7K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

99.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$75.0

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-10.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.55 CA$55.5

$31.82 COP 101.5K

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 CA$121

$102 COP 324.4K

-15.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$107 COP 342.8K

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,860

$475 COP 1.5M

178.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 CA$1,684

$374 COP 1.2M

220.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 CA$2,854

$849 COP 2.7M

139.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,838 CA$2,579

$719 COP 2.3M

155.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,673 CA$5,156

$3,265 COP 10.4M

12.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 CA$4,481

$1,441 COP 4.6M

121.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,185 CA$4,470

$624 COP 2.0M

410.04%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Hearst and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 410% 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: $70.0 in Hearst vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 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

Hearst vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hearst and Medellin differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,003 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 410% higher in Hearst, 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: $1,325 in Hearst versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $733 in Hearst versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,336 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.