Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,005 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$3,005

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hong Kong and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Hong Kong $3,005
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $4,643 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,643
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $6,281 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,281
Medellin $3,199

Hong Kong costs about 85% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hong Kong and Medellin sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 122%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 HK$61.2

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-6.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$46.91 COP 148.7K

37.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 HK$48.97

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-32.47%

Cappuccino

$5.01 HK$39.34

$3.05 COP 9,676

64.26%

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

$1.29 HK$10.12

$1.80 COP 5,707

-28.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HK$8.74

$1.38 COP 4,382

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 HK$61.0

$3.24 COP 10.3K

139.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 HK$50.3

$5.56 COP 17.6K

15.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 HK$22.79

$1.50 COP 4,760

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 HK$18.29

$2.37 COP 7,508

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.51

$1.70 COP 5,377

31.18%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.04

$2.96 COP 9,379

16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.96 HK$196

$10.22 COP 32.4K

144.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 HK$69.0

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 HK$139

$13.90 COP 44.1K

27.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 HK$32.59

$4.13 COP 13.1K

0.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 HK$20.62

$1.53 COP 4,839

71.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 HK$35.65

$2.22 COP 7,052

104.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 HK$32.08

$2.27 COP 7,194

80.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 HK$25.25

$1.99 COP 6,311

61.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 HK$25.56

$1.67 COP 5,285

95.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 HK$12.94

$1.18 COP 3,742

39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.62

$1.24 COP 3,919

40.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 HK$106

$3.87 COP 12.3K

247.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 HK$119

$13.78 COP 43.7K

10.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 HK$15.44

$1.66 COP 5,256

18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 HK$17.42

$2.40 COP 7,615

-7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 HK$10.04

$1.24 COP 3,944

3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 HK$707

$78.2 COP 248.0K

15.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 HK$28.84

$1.28 COP 4,044

186.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 HK$10.60

$2.15 COP 6,803

-37.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.21 HK$127

$8.37 COP 26.5K

93.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.20 HK$32.94

$1.35 COP 4,288

211.11%

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

$44.9K HK$352.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

29.10%

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

$36.8K HK$288.9K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

6.14%

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

$238 HK$1,865

$167 COP 528.4K

42.57%

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

$15.70 HK$123

$13.62 COP 43.2K

15.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.91 HK$172

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-24.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 HK$715

$45.09 COP 143.0K

102.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.14 HK$71.8

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-46.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 HK$102

$6.97 COP 22.1K

85.94%

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

$1,172 HK$9,201

$790 COP 2.5M

48.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K HK$174.2K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

145.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 HK$533

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 HK$342

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 HK$652

$139 COP 440.7K

-40.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 HK$963

$98.9 COP 313.5K

24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 HK$17.7K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

119.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 HK$13.7K

$620 COP 2.0M

182.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,173 HK$40.6K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

175.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

251.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.3K HK$229.7K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

633.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.5K HK$137.1K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

926.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 HK$25.8K

$663 COP 2.1M

395.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

10.94

-65.36%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.8K 58.3%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 64.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$410 13.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 27.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$275 9.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 23.9% $66

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$203 6.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 15.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$143 4.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 21% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$117 3.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 49.6% $58

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$106 3.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 9.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,255 in Hong Kong versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 395% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

16:42 4:42 PM

13 h behind Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Between locations

Hong Kong Medellin 16,670 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hong Kong vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,005 in Hong Kong, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,508 per month in Hong Kong and $2,437 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,005 in Hong Kong and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 85%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Hong Kong at $3,005. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $3,005 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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