Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hanoi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hanoi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $807 in Hanoi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,241 in Hanoi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,675 in Hanoi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 103% more expensive than in Hanoi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Hanoi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.98 ₫51.4K

306.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$21.36 ₫553.7K

126.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.44 ₫115.1K

112.16%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.86 ₫48.1K

58.06%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.45 ₫11.7K

313.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.28 ₫7,223

421.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.18 ₫30.5K

172.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.87 ₫48.6K

205.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.53 ₫39.8K

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.95 ₫24.5K

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.81 ₫21.0K

109.88%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.43 ₫37.1K

102.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.56 ₫273.6K

-4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.86 ₫100.0K

158.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$9.86 ₫255.7K

44.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.10 ₫80.4K

28.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.07 ₫27.7K

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.32 ₫34.2K

62.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.15 ₫29.7K

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.97 ₫25.2K

106.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.12 ₫29.1K

34.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.56 ₫14.4K

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.55 ₫14.1K

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.37 ₫35.5K

180.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.72 ₫329.6K

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.87 ₫22.6K

96.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.68 ₫43.4K

63.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.39 ₫10.1K

220.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$9.12 ₫236.3K

754.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.74 ₫19.1K

77.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.60 ₫15.6K

261.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.28 ₫59.2K

263.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.85 ₫21.9K

60.00%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$30.7K ₫796.8M

-10.63%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$30.8K ₫798.4M

18.62%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$83.6 ₫2.2M

101.79%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$4.91 ₫127.3K

176.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$8.87 ₫230.0K

219.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$25.39 ₫658.2K

80.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$9.19 ₫238.1K

87.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.18 ₫108.3K

59.09%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$773 ₫20.0M

3.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$27.4K ₫709.0M

-66.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$49.37 ₫1.3M

76.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$26.52 ₫687.4K

123.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$83.9 ₫2.2M

65.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$84.9 ₫2.2M

20.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$420 ₫10.9M

155.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$290 ₫7.5M

124.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$821 ₫21.3M

134.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$537 ₫13.9M

95.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,651 ₫120.6M

-11.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,749 ₫71.3M

-38.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$500 ₫13.0M

31.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.45

29.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $420 in Hanoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Hanoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $194 per month, with Hanoi 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 Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Hanoi differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $807 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $420 in Hanoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 754% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $773 in Hanoi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $807 in Hanoi versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hanoi 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hanoi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.