Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ha Long Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha Long Bay: $759 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long Bay
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Ha Long Bay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Ha Long Bay

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ha Long Bay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Ha Long Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $759 in Ha Long Bay.

Medellin $1,625
Ha Long Bay $759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,224 in Ha Long Bay.

Medellin $2,412
Ha Long Bay $1,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,688 in Ha Long Bay.

Medellin $3,199
Ha Long Bay $1,688

Living in Medellin is roughly 114% more expensive than in Ha Long Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ha Long Bay is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$2.06 ₫53.2K

302.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$19.24 ₫497.1K

143.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$4.35 ₫112.4K

112.41%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,597

$1.60 ₫41.4K

90.62%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.38 ₫9,810

373.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,346

$0.35 ₫9,088

294.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$0.88 ₫22.7K

268.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$1.33 ₫34.4K

318.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,721

$1.52 ₫39.3K

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,446

$1.12 ₫29.0K

111.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,333

$0.89 ₫23.1K

91.01%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,302

$1.13 ₫29.2K

161.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

$10.47 ₫270.6K

-2.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$3.80 ₫98.2K

156.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

$10.88 ₫281.2K

27.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$2.94 ₫75.9K

40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$0.94 ₫24.2K

62.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,994

$1.37 ₫35.3K

62.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$1.18 ₫30.4K

92.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,259

$0.98 ₫25.3K

103.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,242

$1.13 ₫29.2K

47.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$0.65 ₫16.8K

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,887

$0.51 ₫13.3K

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$1.37 ₫35.5K

182.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$11.37 ₫293.8K

21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,213

$0.87 ₫22.4K

90.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,553

$1.65 ₫42.7K

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.34 ₫8,888

264.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

$6.31 ₫163.2K

1139.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

$0.71 ₫18.4K

80.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$0.61 ₫15.7K

252.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

$2.71 ₫70.0K

208.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

$1.02 ₫26.5K

32.35%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

$33.2K ₫858.7M

4.61%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$30.2K ₫779.2M

15.02%

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

$167 COP 524.1K

$71.9 ₫1.9M

131.91%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$6.52 ₫168.4K

108.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$8.58 ₫221.6K

239.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

$22.65 ₫585.3K

99.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

$6.89 ₫178.0K

149.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

$3.11 ₫80.3K

124.12%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$191 ₫4.9M

313.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

$14.2K ₫367.5M

-36.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$48.88 ₫1.3M

79.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.9K

$26.10 ₫674.5K

122.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.1K

$78.7 ₫2.0M

76.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$85.3 ₫2.2M

15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$386 ₫10.0M

166.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$272 ₫7.0M

128.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$881 ₫22.8M

113.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$612 ₫15.8M

64.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$2,009 ₫51.9M

98.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,215 ₫31.4M

40.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.28

32.13%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ha Long Bay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Ha Long Bay

$272 35.8% 56.2% $348

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Ha Long Bay

$194 25.5% 35% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Ha Long Bay

$87 11.5% 58.5% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Ha Long Bay

$108 14.2% 37.7% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Ha Long Bay

$59 7.7% 65.6% $112

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Ha Long Bay

$11 1.5% 88% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Ha Long Bay

$29 3.8% 51.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $386 in Ha Long Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $19 in Ha Long Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $194 per month, with Ha Long Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Ha Long Bay

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

270,054

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,145 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 25,840 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,952 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Ha Long Bay 16,970 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ha Long Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha Long Bay is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $1,138 in Ha Long Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $386 in Ha Long Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ha Long Bay runs roughly 92% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $191 in Ha Long Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $759 in Ha Long Bay versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha Long Bay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ha Long Bay 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 Ha Long Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.