Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamra Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,009 in Hamra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,605 in Hamra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,201 in Hamra.

Living in Medellin is roughly 63% more expensive than in Hamra, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Hamra is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$12.06 LBP 1.1M

-33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$64.2 LBP 5.7M

-24.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$10.17 LBP 910.6K

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.77 LBP 426.5K

-38.36%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.36 LBP 211.4K

-21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.83 LBP 74.2K

75.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$5.02 LBP 449.1K

-36.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.93 LBP 441.2K

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.96 LBP 175.7K

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.90 LBP 80.5K

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.16 LBP 193.7K

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.65 LBP 326.6K

-20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$13.24 LBP 1.2M

-24.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$10.77 LBP 963.8K

-7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.15 LBP 1.3M

0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.11 LBP 278.2K

27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.64 LBP 146.9K

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.67 LBP 149.6K

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.49 LBP 133.2K

54.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.36 LBP 121.6K

47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.62 LBP 145.2K

-6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.21 LBP 108.7K

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.68 LBP 61.0K

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.99 LBP 267.3K

28.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.20 LBP 912.8K

37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.32 LBP 118.0K

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.48 LBP 222.0K

10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$4.88 LBP 436.9K

-73.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.21 LBP 197.5K

-1.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$22.34 LBP 2.0M

-62.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

29.52%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$54.3K LBP 4.9B

-49.44%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$32.4K LBP 2.9B

12.64%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$227 LBP 20.3M

-25.61%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$23.60 LBP 2.1M

-42.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$38.29 LBP 3.4M

-26.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.14 LBP 907.9K

-34.42%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$684 LBP 61.2M

17.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.8K LBP 967.0M

-14.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$50.0 LBP 4.5M

18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$136 LBP 12.2M

2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$120 LBP 10.7M

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hamra: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $64.0 in Hamra. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $280, with Hamra 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 Hamra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Hamra differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,009 including rent). Hamra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,514 in Hamra 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.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $684 in Hamra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamra – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,009 in Hamra versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamra but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hamra 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 Hamra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.