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: $2,275 in Hearst versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Hearst versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,382 in Hearst versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Hearst is roughly 39% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hearst 65% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 CA$24.56

$8.04 COP 24.8K

120.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.5 CA$90.9

$48.29 COP 148.6K

35.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.04

$9.42 COP 29.0K

15.18%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.07

$2.94 COP 9,040

24.15%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$1.86 COP 5,735

8.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.23

$1.46 COP 4,479

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 CA$7.34

$3.21 COP 9,882

65.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 CA$8.11

$5.71 COP 17.6K

2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.93

$1.44 COP 4,428

46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.67

$2.40 COP 7,389

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.73

$1.70 COP 5,228

100.59%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.83

$2.89 COP 8,896

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 CA$14.09

$10.06 COP 30.9K

0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.45

$9.97 COP 30.7K

18.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 CA$20.48

$14.20 COP 43.7K

4.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.42

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.83

$1.58 COP 4,878

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.11

$2.15 COP 6,624

71.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.42

$2.30 COP 7,078

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.54

$2.00 COP 6,169

27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.17

$1.51 COP 4,646

51.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.46

$1.20 COP 3,701

107.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.34

$1.28 COP 3,946

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 CA$20.42

$3.84 COP 11.8K

283.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CA$17.66

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.85

$1.71 COP 5,256

62.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.40

$2.74 COP 8,440

15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.31

$1.25 COP 3,834

91.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 CA$89.4

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-17.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$3.98

$1.31 COP 4,016

119.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.03

$2.17 COP 6,680

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 CA$33.13

$8.29 COP 25.5K

188.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.57

$1.36 COP 4,172

-16.91%

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

$28.0K CA$38.8K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

1.96%

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

$19.8K CA$27.4K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-45.92%

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

$139 CA$193

$169 COP 519.2K

-17.35%

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

$39.58 CA$54.9

$13.57 COP 41.8K

191.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CA$80.2

$28.32 COP 87.2K

104.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.92 CA$58.1

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-8.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.64 CA$25.85

$17.22 COP 53.0K

8.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 CA$15.72

$6.65 COP 20.5K

70.38%

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

$760 CA$1,054

$803 COP 2.5M

-5.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K CA$18.7K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

46.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 CA$74.9

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-38.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 CA$55.0

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-33.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 CA$122

$139 COP 427.5K

-36.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$139

$102 COP 314.0K

-1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CA$1,785

$1,071 COP 3.3M

20.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 CA$1,618

$653 COP 2.0M

78.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 CA$2,781

$1,925 COP 5.9M

4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 CA$2,384

$1,048 COP 3.2M

64.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,320 CA$5,992

$4,123 COP 12.7M

4.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,639 CA$5,046

$1,697 COP 5.2M

114.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,306 CA$4,585

$655 COP 2.0M

404.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

10.94

-57.22%

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

Last update for Hearst: September 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Hearst and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 405% 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: $66.0 in Hearst vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $300 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 39% in total monthly costs ($2,275 vs $1,641 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 405% 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: $1,287 in Hearst versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $760 in Hearst versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,275 in Hearst, a $2,500 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 39% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.