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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,828 in Carrefour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,675 in Carrefour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $3,523 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 23% below, Carrefour is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$14.81 HTG 1,931

-58.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$89.3 HTG 11.6K

-63.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$7.17 HTG 935

2.37%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.63 HTG 213

5.52%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.57 HTG 204

-33.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.49 HTG 194

-48.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$5.05 HTG 658

-66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$7.08 HTG 923

-55.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.50 HTG 195

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$2.35 HTG 306

-44.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$3.14 HTG 409

-55.41%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.73 HTG 356

-20.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.79 HTG 1,016

-43.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.97 HTG 778

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$11.71 HTG 1,527

-26.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.86 HTG 243

22.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.47 HTG 322

-55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.93 HTG 122

64.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.36 HTG 307

-42.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$6.22 HTG 811

-81.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.97 HTG 127

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.65 HTG 84.2

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.02 HTG 133

-10.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.02 HTG 525

-41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.63 HTG 1,517

6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.87 HTG 113

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.50 HTG 196

66.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.21 HTG 27.62

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$19.74 HTG 2,573

105.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.36 HTG 47.15

294.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.42 HTG 54.4

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$19.68 HTG 2,566

-61.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.23 HTG 161

-19.51%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$40.7K HTG 5.3M

-55.70%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$45.0K HTG 5.9M

-40.80%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$99.5 HTG 13.0K

-18.82%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$49.62 HTG 6,469

-79.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$167 HTG 21.7K

-85.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$71.3 HTG 9,297

-64.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$20.17 HTG 2,630

-5.06%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$10.16 HTG 1,325

-60.83%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$98.4 HTG 12.8K

210.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,896 HTG 899.1K

-12.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$79.9 HTG 10.4K

-27.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$75.8 HTG 9,886

-57.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$120 HTG 15.6K

-15.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$149 HTG 19.4K

-27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$868 HTG 113.2K

-45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$714 HTG 93.1K

-47.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,296 HTG 169.0K

-34.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,087 HTG 141.7K

-32.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$775 HTG 101.1K

314.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$610 HTG 79.5K

125.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$1,409 HTG 183.7K

-56.23%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Carrefour: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $868 in Carrefour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 128% 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 $89.0 in Carrefour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 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 77% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $1,828 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 128% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $868 in Carrefour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $98.4 in Carrefour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,828 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 77% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.