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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $629 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,053 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,476 in Carthage.

Living in Medellin is roughly 64% more expensive than in Carthage, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Carthage 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.05 TND 14.77

21.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$25.25 TND 73.9

29.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.06 TND 14.80

45.06%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.07 TND 3.14

60.75%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.71 TND 2.09

47.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.26 TND 0.76

196.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.72 TND 5.04

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.97 TND 5.77

60.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.47 TND 1.36

123.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.20 TND 0.57

550.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.70 TND 4.99

-17.65%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.64 TND 4.80

31.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.64 TND 31.14

-58.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.03 TND 17.66

-2.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$14.54 TND 42.54

-40.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.01 TND 5.89

13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$3.40 TND 9.95

-67.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.12 TND 3.29

36.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.73 TND 2.14

84.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.75 TND 2.19

50.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.65 TND 1.90

73.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.43 TND 1.26

97.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.29 TND 0.83

213.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.43 TND 10.03

-31.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.88 TND 20.14

79.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.35 TND 3.94

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.26 TND 3.68

97.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.33 TND 0.95

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$7.39 TND 21.61

448.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.32 TND 0.94

343.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.33 TND 0.97

481.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$3.41 TND 9.96

124.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.82 TND 2.40

20.73%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$41.4K TND 121.0K

-56.40%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$36.0K TND 105.3K

-26.04%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$45.15 TND 132

78.98%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$9.42 TND 27.56

5.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$18.30 TND 53.6

32.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$37.88 TND 111

-33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.32 TND 38.97

43.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.17 TND 15.11

-23.02%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$109 TND 319

179.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,309 TND 9,683

83.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$46.19 TND 135

25.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$60.2 TND 176

-46.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$97.3 TND 285

3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$65.7 TND 192

63.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$168 TND 491

184.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$101 TND 296

271.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$304 TND 890

177.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$239 TND 698

206.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$957 TND 2,800

236.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$626 TND 1,831

119.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$270 TND 789

128.85%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Carthage: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $168 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 129% 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 $25.00 in Carthage. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $196, 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $629 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 129% 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: $477 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 2% 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 $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $629 in Carthage versus $1,031 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 64% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.