Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Carthage Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Carthage

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $650 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,056 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,462 in Carthage.

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than Carthage, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Carthage 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$5.01 TND 14.55

19.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$25.83 TND 75.0

27.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.22 TND 15.14

35.82%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.06 TND 3.08

61.32%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.70 TND 2.04

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.28 TND 0.82

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.68 TND 4.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.92 TND 5.57

59.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.49 TND 1.43

122.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.20 TND 0.58

530.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.74 TND 5.04

-20.69%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.64 TND 4.77

33.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.47 TND 30.39

-57.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.11 TND 17.75

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$14.88 TND 43.21

-40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.02 TND 5.88

15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$3.53 TND 10.24

-69.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.12 TND 3.26

33.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.74 TND 2.14

86.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.78 TND 2.27

47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.66 TND 1.92

75.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.46 TND 1.34

93.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.31 TND 0.91

170.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.56 TND 10.32

-35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.78 TND 22.59

36.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.30 TND 3.77

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.26 TND 3.65

96.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.36 TND 1.03

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$7.26 TND 21.08

470.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.32 TND 0.94

359.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.31 TND 0.89

532.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.37 TND 9.79

129.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.83 TND 2.41

14.46%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$40.3K TND 117.1K

-55.06%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$36.2K TND 105.1K

-26.82%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$45.69 TND 133

80.02%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$9.47 TND 27.50

0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$18.94 TND 55.0

27.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$37.63 TND 109

-31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$13.48 TND 39.15

40.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.31 TND 15.41

-25.99%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$109 TND 316

184.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,369 TND 9,781

77.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$44.85 TND 130

30.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$61.5 TND 178

-47.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$97.0 TND 282

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$65.6 TND 191

65.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$168 TND 487

183.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$99.8 TND 290

279.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$301 TND 874

178.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$239 TND 695

202.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$867 TND 2,519

221.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$413 TND 1,198

193.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$278 TND 807

84.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.96

22.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Carthage: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $168 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 84% 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 $26.00 in Carthage. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $200, with Medellin 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 Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Carthage differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $650 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 84% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $168 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $650 in Carthage versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage 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 Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.