Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Carrefour Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Carrefour

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,806 in Carrefour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,698 in Carrefour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $3,589 in Carrefour.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 5% less than in Carrefour, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Carrefour 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$15.13 HTG 1,973

-46.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$91.3 HTG 11.9K

-47.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.15 HTG 932

36.64%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.64 HTG 214

77.44%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.56 HTG 204

24.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.53 HTG 199

-0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$5.11 HTG 666

-39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$7.20 HTG 939

-20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.49 HTG 194

-8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.27 HTG 296

5.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.99 HTG 389

-43.14%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.74 HTG 357

4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$7.79 HTG 1,016

27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.96 HTG 777

80.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$12.00 HTG 1,564

22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.90 HTG 247

115.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.48 HTG 323

-36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.89 HTG 116

139.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.26 HTG 295

-2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$6.09 HTG 794

-66.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.02 HTG 133

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.66 HTG 85.9

80.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.98 HTG 128

18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.98 HTG 519

-2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$11.59 HTG 1,511

24.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.89 HTG 116

77.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.57 HTG 205

80.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.21 HTG 27.99

457.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$20.19 HTG 2,632

284.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.39 HTG 51.0

228.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.41 HTG 53.8

409.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$20.04 HTG 2,613

-56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.21 HTG 158

7.44%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$40.2K HTG 5.2M

-31.21%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$45.3K HTG 5.9M

-21.70%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$101 HTG 13.2K

74.57%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$50.6 HTG 6,598

-73.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$164 HTG 21.4K

-81.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$70.2 HTG 9,156

-36.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$20.15 HTG 2,627

-15.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$10.16 HTG 1,325

-38.98%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$101 HTG 13.2K

685.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$6,994 HTG 911.9K

28.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$79.8 HTG 10.4K

7.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$74.3 HTG 9,686

-21.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$121 HTG 15.8K

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$152 HTG 19.8K

-32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$897 HTG 116.9K

18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$732 HTG 95.4K

-7.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,293 HTG 168.6K

55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,055 HTG 137.5K

10.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$759 HTG 98.9K

441.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$611 HTG 79.7K

178.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,400 HTG 182.5K

-52.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-27.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Carrefour: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $897 in Carrefour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 110% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $91.0 in Carrefour. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $254, with Carrefour cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin vs Carrefour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Carrefour differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,806 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Carrefour. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $897 in Carrefour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $101 in Carrefour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Carrefour pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,806 in Carrefour, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Carrefour. 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 5% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.