Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Haikou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Haikou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $824 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,172 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,520 in Haikou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 104% more expensive than in Haikou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Haikou is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.49 ¥30.05

78.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$15.14 ¥101

216.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.82 ¥38.95

69.93%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.41 ¥16.17

29.88%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.86 ¥5.74

122.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.34 ¥2.27

344.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.46 ¥9.79

113.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.64 ¥17.71

117.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.07 ¥13.83

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.48 ¥9.88

68.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.68 ¥4.56

160.29%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.35 ¥9.04

119.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.78 ¥25.34

167.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$15.36 ¥103

-6.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.70 ¥11.38

143.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.88 ¥5.87

82.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.13 ¥7.60

99.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.88 ¥5.86

155.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.86 ¥5.79

137.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.76 ¥5.06

102.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.43 ¥2.87

172.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.56 ¥3.76

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.20 ¥21.44

21.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.99 ¥60.2

55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.57 ¥3.83

205.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.18 ¥7.90

143.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.87 ¥5.85

40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$53.8 ¥361

49.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.20 ¥14.74

-40.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.43 ¥2.91

409.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.21 ¥8.08

13.22%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$36.32 ¥243

388.16%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$13.55 ¥90.7

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$13.65 ¥91.5

117.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$45.71 ¥306

-1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.37 ¥42.65

168.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.51 ¥30.18

47.45%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$868 ¥5,811

-6.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$19.3K ¥129.3K

-52.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$26.56 ¥178

236.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$35.29 ¥236

67.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$45.58 ¥305

203.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$38.53 ¥258

165.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$366 ¥2,449

190.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$295 ¥1,977

124.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$572 ¥3,830

230.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$365 ¥2,447

181.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,219 ¥21.6K

29.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,144 ¥14.4K

-21.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$705 ¥4,721

-3.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.85

184.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Haikou: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $366 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Haikou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $167 per month, with Haikou 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 Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Haikou differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $824 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Haikou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $366 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $824 in Haikou – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 49% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $824 in Haikou versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haikou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Haikou 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 Haikou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.