Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,521 in Heraklion versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,439 in Heraklion versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,357 in Heraklion versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 52% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Heraklion is 14% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 €12.21

$5.91 COP 18.6K

138.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €50.7

$32.96 COP 103.8K

77.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.17

$7.43 COP 23.4K

58.01%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.50

$1.65 COP 5,207

144.85%

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

$2.27 €1.97

$1.10 COP 3,468

106.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.78 COP 2,458

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.11

$1.72 COP 5,412

243.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.95

$3.18 COP 10.0K

79.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.10 COP 3,474

69.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.26 COP 3,962

20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.26

$1.38 COP 4,349

89.13%

Eggs

$5.78 €5.01

$2.18 COP 6,858

165.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €14.63

$4.49 COP 14.1K

276.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 €9.96

$5.79 COP 18.2K

98.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 €12.72

$8.97 COP 28.2K

63.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.32 COP 7,308

-1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.06 COP 3,352

104.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.52 COP 4,774

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.36 COP 4,270

33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.13 COP 3,552

16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.17 COP 3,689

29.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.90 COP 2,838

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.90 COP 2,823

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 €4.62

$2.23 COP 7,034

139.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.23 €6.26

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.88

$1.19 COP 3,743

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.95

$2.48 COP 7,815

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.37

$0.85 COP 2,687

85.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.38

$41.62 COP 131.0K

12.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.10

$1.42 COP 4,459

233.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.39 €9.87

$7.89 COP 24.8K

44.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.86

$0.99 COP 3,118

116.16%

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

$33.9K €29.4K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

92.86%

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

$26.0K €22.5K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-2.91%

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

$215 €186

$83.0 COP 261.4K

159.28%

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

$23.56 €20.41

$9.70 COP 30.5K

142.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.81

$23.52 COP 74.1K

56.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 €45.33

$25.26 COP 79.5K

107.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.05 €34.68

$19.10 COP 60.1K

109.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.85

$3.95 COP 12.4K

129.62%

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

$427 €370

$316 COP 994.2K

35.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,095 €3,546

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-31.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €84.2

$60.0 COP 188.9K

61.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 €40.69

$31.82 COP 100.2K

47.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €77.4

$102 COP 320.1K

-12.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$107 COP 338.3K

27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 €473

$475 COP 1.5M

15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 €369

$374 COP 1.2M

13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 €883

$849 COP 2.7M

20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €763

$719 COP 2.3M

22.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,932 €3,406

$3,265 COP 10.3M

20.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 €2,455

$1,441 COP 4.5M

96.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 €967

$624 COP 2.0M

78.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

13.43

-66.94%

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

Last update for Heraklion: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $546 in Heraklion and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 79% 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: $59.0 in Heraklion vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 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

Heraklion vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Heraklion, 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: $546 in Heraklion versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Heraklion 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 60% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,521 in Heraklion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Heraklion and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.