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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $785 in Haikou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,194 in Haikou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,603 in Haikou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 29% more expensive than Haikou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Haikou 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.44 ¥16.53

145.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$24.58 ¥166

33.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.06 ¥34.28

40.12%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.06 ¥20.73

-44.12%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.46 ¥3.08

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.33 ¥2.27

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.36 ¥9.23

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.72 ¥25.21

-17.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.79 ¥12.08

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.37 ¥9.26

-8.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.82 ¥5.54

68.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.86 ¥12.61

17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.66 ¥85.7

-65.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.70 ¥38.61

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$15.45 ¥105

-42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$0.81 ¥5.49

188.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.93 ¥6.27

13.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.43 ¥2.91

248.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.93 ¥6.30

48.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.78 ¥5.26

47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.71 ¥4.84

63.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.29 ¥1.97

206.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.52 ¥3.53

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.00 ¥20.29

-24.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$11.39 ¥77.1

-6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.80 ¥5.43

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.65 ¥11.18

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.29 ¥1.97

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$16.58 ¥112

149.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$2.87 ¥19.42

-48.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.36 ¥2.41

444.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.53 ¥44.22

18.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.13 ¥7.62

-15.93%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$20.4K ¥138.3K

-11.27%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$16.2K ¥109.5K

63.74%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$33.79 ¥229

143.42%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$13.85 ¥93.7

-31.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$8.11 ¥54.9

198.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$32.15 ¥218

-19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$5.80 ¥39.29

227.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.46 ¥36.96

-28.02%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$333 ¥2,254

-7.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$27.9K ¥188.8K

-78.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$41.58 ¥281

41.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$41.71 ¥282

-22.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$42.57 ¥288

141.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$34.35 ¥233

215.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$343 ¥2,323

38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$274 ¥1,857

38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$533 ¥3,606

57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$472 ¥3,194

53.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,212 ¥21.7K

-13.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,147 ¥14.5K

-43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$717 ¥4,856

-28.66%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Haikou: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $343 in Haikou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Haikou pays 40% 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 $25.00 in Haikou. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $212, 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $785 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Haikou earns 40% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $343 in Haikou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $785 in Haikou – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 150% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $785 in Haikou versus $1,013 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 29% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.