Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ha Long

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha Long: $759 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long
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Ha Long Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Ha Long

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $759 in Ha Long, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Ha Long $759

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,223 in Ha Long, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Ha Long $1,223

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,686 in Ha Long, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Ha Long $1,686

Medellin costs about 109% more than Ha Long, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ha Long is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.6K

$1.83 ₫47.5K

337.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.7K

$18.93 ₫490.8K

145.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$4.36 ₫113.1K

116.28%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,300

$1.81 ₫46.9K

60.77%

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

$1.75 COP 5,599

$0.57 ₫14.7K

207.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,229

$0.30 ₫7,775

340.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,993

$0.79 ₫20.6K

296.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$1.31 ₫33.9K

323.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,506

$1.68 ₫43.6K

-16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,796

$1.04 ₫26.9K

134.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,204

$1.11 ₫28.7K

46.85%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,012

$1.66 ₫43.2K

69.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.0K

$10.56 ₫273.7K

-8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.8K

$4.12 ₫106.9K

126.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.0K

$8.74 ₫226.8K

54.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.74 ₫71.2K

45.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,730

$1.15 ₫29.8K

28.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,785

$1.13 ₫29.4K

87.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,196

$1.26 ₫32.6K

78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,107

$1.06 ₫27.5K

80.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,173

$1.14 ₫29.6K

42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,667

$0.64 ₫16.5K

79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,031

$0.50 ₫13.0K

152.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$1.52 ₫39.4K

151.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.9K

$11.62 ₫301.3K

12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,096

$0.92 ₫23.8K

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,206

$1.62 ₫42.0K

39.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,740

$0.31 ₫8,162

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.6K

$6.09 ₫157.9K

1131.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,066

$0.68 ₫17.7K

86.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,548

$0.58 ₫15.0K

253.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.2K

$2.14 ₫55.4K

283.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$0.89 ₫23.1K

42.70%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$34.5K ₫894.6M

-22.38%

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

$34.4K COP 109.9M

$31.8K ₫825.9M

8.04%

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

$162 COP 518.2K

$77.6 ₫2.0M

109.14%

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

$13.12 COP 41.9K

$5.83 ₫151.2K

125.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.7K

$7.24 ₫187.8K

287.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.6K

$19.71 ₫511.1K

124.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.2K

$8.29 ₫215.1K

96.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$2.91 ₫75.4K

109.28%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$165 ₫4.3M

364.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$14.1K ₫366.6M

-37.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 271.4K

$51.9 ₫1.3M

63.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.6K

$22.66 ₫587.7K

153.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.9K

$76.0 ₫2.0M

73.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.9K

$71.4 ₫1.9M

34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$421 ₫10.9M

144.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$278 ₫7.2M

117.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$774 ₫20.1M

132.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$674 ₫17.5M

47.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$3,212 ₫83.3M

22.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,170 ₫30.3M

40.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$228 ₫5.9M

174.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.46

29.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ha Long: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Ha Long

$278 36.7% 54.1% $327

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Ha Long

$193 25.5% 33% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Ha Long

$91 12% 55.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Ha Long

$100 13.2% 40% $67

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Ha Long

$59 7.9% 64.2% $107

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Ha Long

$11 1.4% 88% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Ha Long

$26 3.4% 54.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $421 in Ha Long. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 175% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Ha Long. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $193 – making Ha Long the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Ha Long

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

10:42 10:42 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 = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,580 COP (10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Medellin
Ha Long

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Medellin, $759 in Ha Long – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,138 in Ha Long. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ha Long, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Ha Long. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ha Long, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Ha Long it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $759 in Ha Long to $1,589 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ha Long. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.