Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillcrest and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,866 per month in Hillcrest vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,402 per month in Hillcrest vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Hillcrest costs about 31% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Hillcrest and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Hillcrest 1% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 R 123

$5.95 COP 20.8K

27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.98 R 452

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 R 80.5

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-31.12%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R 30.80

$1.63 COP 5,687

16.56%

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

$0.87 R 14.02

$1.09 COP 3,821

-20.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 10.91

$0.73 COP 2,548

-8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R 31.52

$1.74 COP 6,065

12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 R 37.26

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-28.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 R 13.94

$1.05 COP 3,662

-18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 R 9.31

$1.29 COP 4,515

-55.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 R 18.83

$1.32 COP 4,617

-12.12%

Eggs

$2.20 R 35.63

$2.27 COP 7,927

-3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 R 116

$4.35 COP 15.2K

65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 R 62.6

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-34.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R 102

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-26.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 R 22.59

$2.25 COP 7,844

-37.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.48

$1.07 COP 3,733

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.22

$1.52 COP 5,322

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.25

$1.42 COP 4,964

-7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.68

$1.17 COP 4,084

9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.93

$1.17 COP 4,077

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 R 16.51

$0.89 COP 3,096

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 12.99

$0.90 COP 3,146

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R 44.14

$2.25 COP 7,837

21.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.81 R 77.8

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-56.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R 23.44

$1.14 COP 3,977

27.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 R 27.31

$2.38 COP 8,301

-28.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 27.13

$0.84 COP 2,916

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 R 27.82

$1.41 COP 4,912

21.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 R 9.91

$1.90 COP 6,634

-67.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 R 106

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-15.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.64

$1.01 COP 3,509

26.73%

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

$20.0K R 323.5K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

13.81%

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

$24.1K R 390.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-8.86%

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

$143 R 2,305

$83.7 COP 292.1K

70.39%

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

$28.87 R 467

$9.45 COP 33.0K

205.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.08 R 551

$24.11 COP 84.1K

41.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.93 R 500

$25.31 COP 88.3K

22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R 107

$4.10 COP 14.3K

60.98%

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

$206 R 3,323

$312 COP 1.1M

-34.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,576 R 74.0K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-23.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.77 R 691

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 R 493

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 R 1,542

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 R 1,198

$109 COP 378.8K

-31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 5,900

$482 COP 1.7M

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 R 11.0K

$379 COP 1.3M

79.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 R 11.2K

$837 COP 2.9M

-17.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 R 18.5K

$723 COP 2.5M

57.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$969 R 15.7K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-65.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 R 10.9K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-44.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

13.43

-10.57%

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

Last update for Hillcrest: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Hillcrest versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Hillcrest versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $154 vs $190 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Hillcrest vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,331 in Hillcrest, $1,017 in Medellin – roughly 31% apart. Hillcrest costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Hillcrest and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Hillcrest and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Hillcrest at $1,331. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillcrest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hillcrest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,017 in Medellin to $1,331 in Hillcrest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillcrest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.