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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $719 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,125 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,532 in Carthage.

Living in Medellin is roughly 134% more expensive than in Carthage, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Carthage is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.25 TND 15.23

52.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$22.41 TND 65.0

113.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.96 TND 17.30

65.94%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.12 TND 3.24

179.46%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.81 TND 2.34

135.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.28 TND 0.80

439.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.66 TND 4.82

87.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.00 TND 5.81

187.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.52 TND 1.52

176.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.27 TND 0.78

822.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.68 TND 4.87

5.36%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.76 TND 5.09

68.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.43 TND 30.27

-3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.13 TND 17.77

65.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.89 TND 43.19

-3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.36 TND 3.94

204.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$3.82 TND 11.09

-57.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.17 TND 3.39

92.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.76 TND 2.20

196.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.93 TND 2.70

119.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.66 TND 1.90

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.58 TND 1.67

101.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.32 TND 0.92

309.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.88 TND 11.24

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.67 TND 19.36

110.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.36 TND 3.94

27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.26 TND 3.64

127.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.41 TND 1.20

197.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$13.94 TND 40.44

477.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.32 TND 0.92

309.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.36 TND 1.03

508.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.82 TND 5.27

378.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.84 TND 2.43

63.10%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$40.5K TND 117.5K

-31.27%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$36.0K TND 104.4K

-0.62%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$46.48 TND 135

281.45%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.20 TND 26.69

50.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$20.47 TND 59.4

45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$33.61 TND 97.5

33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$13.84 TND 40.13

23.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.17 TND 14.98

28.63%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$113 TND 327

621.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,312 TND 9,607

177.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$51.2 TND 148

74.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$65.9 TND 191

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$116 TND 336

19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$67.9 TND 197

50.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$213 TND 617

399.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$159 TND 460

318.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$210 TND 610

797.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$275 TND 799

273.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$989 TND 2,868

323.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$621 TND 1,802

169.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$277 TND 805

144.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.28

6.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Carthage: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $213 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 144% 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 $22.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $199 per month, with Carthage 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 Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Carthage differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $719 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 144% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $213 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $719 in Carthage versus $1,681 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 134% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.