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: $2,322 in Hearst versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Hearst versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Hearst versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Hearst is roughly 128% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hearst is 73% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 CA$23.87

$5.95 COP 20.8K

187.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.2

$33.33 COP 116.3K

113.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$7.23 COP 25.2K

55.60%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.40

$1.63 COP 5,687

137.42%

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

$1.99 CA$2.78

$1.09 COP 3,821

82.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.39

$0.73 COP 2,548

134.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 CA$7.91

$1.74 COP 6,065

225.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CA$8.36

$3.23 COP 11.3K

85.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.05 COP 3,662

109.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.29 COP 4,515

103.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.95

$1.32 COP 4,617

168.18%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.88

$2.27 COP 7,927

54.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$15.85

$4.35 COP 15.2K

160.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 CA$16.58

$5.88 COP 20.5K

102.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 CA$20.49

$8.61 COP 30.0K

70.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.53

$2.25 COP 7,844

76.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.98

$1.07 COP 3,733

32.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.23

$1.52 COP 5,322

146.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.34

$1.42 COP 4,964

169.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$1.17 COP 4,084

111.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.54

$1.17 COP 4,077

117.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.65

$0.89 COP 3,096

194.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.47

$0.90 COP 3,146

96.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.93 CA$19.45

$2.25 COP 7,837

519.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 CA$15.91

$11.04 COP 38.5K

3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.94

$1.14 COP 3,977

147.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.26

$2.38 COP 8,301

28.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 CA$3.29

$0.84 COP 2,916

180.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 CA$87.2

$41.95 COP 146.4K

48.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.36

$1.41 COP 4,912

121.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.02

$1.90 COP 6,634

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.96 CA$36.25

$7.75 COP 27.0K

234.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$1.01 COP 3,509

15.84%

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

$25.1K CA$35.0K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

42.62%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-21.21%

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

$141 CA$197

$83.7 COP 292.1K

68.75%

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

$44.19 CA$61.7

$9.45 COP 33.0K

367.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 CA$89.1

$24.11 COP 84.1K

164.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 CA$59.6

$25.31 COP 88.3K

68.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 CA$20.17

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-24.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 CA$16.05

$4.10 COP 14.3K

180.24%

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

$740 CA$1,033

$312 COP 1.1M

137.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

96.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$77.4

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-4.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 CA$54.6

$32.56 COP 113.6K

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 CA$122

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$149

$109 COP 378.8K

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CA$1,803

$482 COP 1.7M

167.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 CA$1,666

$379 COP 1.3M

214.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 CA$2,869

$837 COP 2.9M

145.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CA$2,551

$723 COP 2.5M

152.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,224 CA$5,899

$2,840 COP 9.9M

48.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,638 CA$5,081

$1,223 COP 4.3M

197.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,208 CA$4,480

$541 COP 1.9M

493.17%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,291 in Hearst and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 493% 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: $71.0 in Hearst vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 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 128% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hearst pays 493% 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: $1,291 in Hearst versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $740 in Hearst versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,322 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 128% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.