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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,811 in Carrefour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,726 in Carrefour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $3,642 in Carrefour.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 44% less than in Carrefour, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Carrefour is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$14.75 HTG 1,926

-59.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$88.4 HTG 11.5K

-62.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.93 HTG 905

2.31%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.67 HTG 218

2.40%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.53 HTG 199

-28.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.48 HTG 193

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$5.02 HTG 655

-66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$7.01 HTG 916

-56.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.54 HTG 201

-29.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$2.35 HTG 306

-46.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$3.11 HTG 406

-55.63%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.71 HTG 354

-19.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.49 HTG 979

-41.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.13 HTG 800

-8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$11.99 HTG 1,566

-25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.88 HTG 245

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.44 HTG 319

-56.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.88 HTG 115

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.34 HTG 305

-41.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$6.09 HTG 796

-81.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.02 HTG 133

13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.65 HTG 84.4

36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.99 HTG 129

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.99 HTG 521

-42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$11.57 HTG 1,511

-8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.89 HTG 116

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.50 HTG 195

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.19 HTG 24.83

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$19.66 HTG 2,568

110.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.39 HTG 51.5

276.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.39 HTG 50.5

402.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$20.06 HTG 2,620

-61.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.28 HTG 167

-25.78%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$40.1K HTG 5.2M

-54.80%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$44.4K HTG 5.8M

-40.40%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$98.6 HTG 12.9K

-16.56%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$50.1 HTG 6,540

-81.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$163 HTG 21.3K

-85.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$70.4 HTG 9,197

-63.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$20.10 HTG 2,625

-5.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.94 HTG 1,298

-60.46%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$99.8 HTG 13.0K

210.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$7,092 HTG 926.1K

-15.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$79.0 HTG 10.3K

-25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$76.1 HTG 9,939

-57.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$122 HTG 16.0K

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$149 HTG 19.4K

-27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$876 HTG 114.4K

-45.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$731 HTG 95.5K

-48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,261 HTG 164.6K

-33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,086 HTG 141.8K

-33.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$746 HTG 97.5K

273.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$589 HTG 76.9K

105.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,397 HTG 182.5K

-63.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-10.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Carrefour: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $876 in Carrefour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 173% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $88.0 in Carrefour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $256 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

Medellin vs Carrefour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Carrefour differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,811 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Carrefour earns 173% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $876 in Carrefour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $99.8 in Carrefour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,811 in Carrefour, a $1,500 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 79% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.