Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hama

For one person, living is cheaper in Hama: $549 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Hama, Syria
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Hama
🇸🇾 Syria
$549
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $549 in Hama.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Hama $549

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $859 in Hama.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Hama $859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,170 in Hama.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Hama $1,170

Living in Medellin is roughly 208% more expensive than in Hama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Hama is 59% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$7.51 SYP 912
11.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$30.27 SYP 3,678
53.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$2.72 SYP 331
248.16%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.16 SYP 141
169.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,696
$2.27 SYP 276
-22.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,594
$0.83 SYP 101
71.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.86 SYP 226
69.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$1.72 SYP 209
231.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,943
$1.02 SYP 124
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,389
$0.42 SYP 50.7
445.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,273
$1.60 SYP 194
21.25%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,889
$1.53 SYP 186
100.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$4.02 SYP 488
148.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$5.81 SYP 706
79.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$14.00 SYP 1,701
-0.29%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.03 SYP 125
293.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,929
$1.40 SYP 170
9.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,786
$1.09 SYP 132
92.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$1.02 SYP 124
124.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,803
$0.74 SYP 89.6
185.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,512
$0.76 SYP 92.9
125.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,774
$0.43 SYP 52.7
172.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,096
$0.67 SYP 81.5
135.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$2.75 SYP 334
42.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$5.06 SYP 615
177.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,682
$1.14 SYP 138
54.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,746
$2.76 SYP 335
-1.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Hama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,805
$0.21 SYP 25.66
461.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,827
$1.02 SYP 124
77.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,867
$1.49 SYP 181
42.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$7.81 SYP 949
4.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,113
$3.70 SYP 450
-65.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$15.1K SYP 1.8M
127.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$18.8K SYP 2.3M
81.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.2K
$138 SYP 16.7K
29.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$9.18 SYP 1,116
51.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.1K
$22.91 SYP 2,784
34.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.3K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$5.45 SYP 662
37.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$67.6 SYP 8,215
1068.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$1,761 SYP 213.9K
598.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.4K
$28.71 SYP 3,489
200.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.1K
$39.53 SYP 4,803
49.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.2K
$61.0 SYP 7,405
126.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.7K
$57.9 SYP 7,038
70.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Hama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Hama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
14.25
-23.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hama: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Hama
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Hama
$168 45.4% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Hama
$170 23.7% $53
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Hama
$107 37.8% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Hama
$84 51.1% $88
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Hama
$9.3 * 90% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Hama
$11 * 80.8% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $30 in Hama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $168 per month, with Hama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇸🇾 Hama
🕒 Local time
19:03 7:03 PM
03:03 3:03 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
312,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.31 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Hama 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Hama

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 Hama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Hama?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $549 in Hama, so Hama is about 68% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Hama?
You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $824 in Hama 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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Hama?
All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $549 in Hama – Hama is about 68% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $549 in Hama versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hama but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Hama?
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.

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