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: $1,526 in Heraklion versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Heraklion versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,346 in Heraklion versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 48% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Heraklion is 14% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.90 €11.97

$6.00 COP 20.6K

131.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €50.5

$32.84 COP 112.5K

78.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €9.83

$7.42 COP 25.4K

53.91%

Cappuccino

$3.91 €3.37

$1.65 COP 5,659

136.97%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.07 COP 3,663

109.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.76 COP 2,607

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €4.91

$1.72 COP 5,908

231.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 €5.02

$3.20 COP 11.0K

81.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.05 COP 3,597

80.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.31 COP 4,479

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.34

$1.34 COP 4,591

102.24%

Eggs

$5.60 €4.82

$2.19 COP 7,521

155.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.45

$4.41 COP 15.1K

280.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 €9.99

$5.69 COP 19.5K

103.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 €12.60

$8.52 COP 29.2K

71.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.34 COP 8,023

-0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.11 COP 3,804

92.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.52 COP 5,210

-5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.37 COP 4,680

37.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.15 COP 3,950

12.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.18 COP 4,043

28.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.80

$0.84 COP 2,885

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.86 COP 2,931

-17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 €4.71

$2.26 COP 7,753

142.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.17

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.20 COP 4,109

81.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.94

$2.48 COP 8,484

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.37

$0.79 COP 2,721

101.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.47 €40.01

$40.83 COP 139.9K

13.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 €4.00

$1.47 COP 5,023

216.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 €10.06

$7.77 COP 26.6K

50.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.01 COP 3,464

105.94%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

99.21%

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

$25.6K €22.0K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-3.41%

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

$216 €186

$81.1 COP 277.9K

166.57%

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

$23.52 €20.25

$9.43 COP 32.3K

149.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 €31.40

$23.86 COP 81.8K

52.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €44.17

$25.99 COP 89.1K

97.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.75 €35.09

$18.71 COP 64.1K

117.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.01

$4.09 COP 14.0K

127.38%

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

$419 €361

$315 COP 1.1M

33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,151 €3,575

$6,022 COP 20.6M

-31.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.1 €84.5

$59.7 COP 204.6K

64.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.63 €39.29

$31.97 COP 109.6K

42.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 €75.1

$101 COP 346.9K

-13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$105 COP 360.3K

25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 €461

$485 COP 1.7M

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 €371

$365 COP 1.3M

17.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €895

$827 COP 2.8M

25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 €760

$730 COP 2.5M

20.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,020 €3,462

$2,992 COP 10.3M

34.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 €2,494

$1,314 COP 4.5M

120.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 €988

$551 COP 1.9M

108.29%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Heraklion and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 108% 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 $312 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

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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Heraklion pays 108% 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: $535 in Heraklion versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Heraklion versus $315 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,526 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 48% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.