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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $786 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,196 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,605 in Haikou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than in Haikou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Haikou 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.55 ¥17.24

141.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$24.04 ¥162

35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.31 ¥35.89

38.23%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.95 ¥19.91

-41.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.45 ¥3.05

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.30 ¥2.05

156.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.40 ¥9.47

20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.63 ¥24.51

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.77 ¥11.98

-40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.42 ¥9.60

-8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.88 ¥5.92

59.09%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.85 ¥12.53

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.90 ¥87.1

-65.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.47 ¥36.94

7.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$15.10 ¥102

-42.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$0.86 ¥5.79

165.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.89 ¥6.04

24.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.40 ¥2.71

282.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.95 ¥6.39

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.70 ¥4.75

61.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.68 ¥4.61

66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.27 ¥1.80

214.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.52 ¥3.53

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.90 ¥19.62

-19.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.69 ¥79.0

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.79 ¥5.34

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.57 ¥10.63

58.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.27 ¥1.82

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$16.76 ¥113

142.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.73 ¥18.44

-47.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.33 ¥2.20

481.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.73 ¥45.51

13.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.16 ¥7.86

-14.66%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$20.3K ¥137.5K

-11.39%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$16.7K ¥112.7K

59.67%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$34.12 ¥231

136.84%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.71 ¥92.7

-27.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$8.57 ¥57.9

182.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$32.90 ¥222

-23.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$5.79 ¥39.15

230.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.41 ¥36.59

-26.43%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$340 ¥2,301

-10.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$28.4K ¥191.9K

-78.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$41.66 ¥282

39.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$41.90 ¥283

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$42.49 ¥287

137.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$35.08 ¥237

207.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$352 ¥2,380

35.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$282 ¥1,904

33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$540 ¥3,650

56.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$469 ¥3,168

55.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,108 ¥21.0K

3.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,120 ¥14.3K

-35.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$719 ¥4,861

-14.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.85

176.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Haikou: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $352 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Haikou. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $211, 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 Haikou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Haikou differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $786 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $352 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $786 in Haikou – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 142% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $786 in Haikou versus $1,031 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 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.