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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $759 in Hanoi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,237 in Hanoi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,715 in Hanoi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than Hanoi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Hanoi 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$1.97 ₫51.8K

204.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$26.89 ₫706.5K

22.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.56 ₫119.7K

55.48%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$1.80 ₫47.2K

-5.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.49 ₫12.7K

124.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.27 ₫7,104

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.94 ₫24.7K

78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.96 ₫51.4K

56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.37 ₫36.0K

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$0.99 ₫25.9K

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.91 ₫24.0K

51.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.55 ₫40.8K

41.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.19 ₫241.5K

-52.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.86 ₫101.5K

45.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$9.81 ₫257.7K

-9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$3.29 ₫86.5K

-28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.06 ₫27.8K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.56 ₫41.1K

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.12 ₫29.4K

23.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.02 ₫26.9K

12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.01 ₫26.4K

14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.56 ₫14.8K

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.54 ₫14.2K

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$1.36 ₫35.7K

67.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$13.09 ₫343.8K

-18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.98 ₫25.6K

22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.75 ₫46.0K

41.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.36 ₫9,517

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$7.73 ₫203.0K

435.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$0.81 ₫21.2K

81.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.58 ₫15.1K

237.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$1.60 ₫41.9K

383.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$0.86 ₫22.5K

10.47%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$37.8K ₫994.4M

-52.09%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$31.8K ₫834.9M

-16.65%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$78.9 ₫2.1M

4.21%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$5.13 ₫134.8K

85.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$8.93 ₫234.5K

171.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$28.05 ₫737.0K

-7.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$11.35 ₫298.1K

67.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.77 ₫99.0K

4.24%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$264 ₫6.9M

17.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$11.5K ₫303.3M

-48.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$44.92 ₫1.2M

30.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$22.90 ₫601.6K

41.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$89.2 ₫2.3M

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$71.7 ₫1.9M

51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$331 ₫8.7M

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$249 ₫6.6M

51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$773 ₫20.3M

8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$594 ₫15.6M

21.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$4,919 ₫129.3M

-43.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,835 ₫74.5M

-57.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$502 ₫13.2M

1.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.1

47.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $331 in Hanoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Hanoi. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $193, 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 Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Hanoi differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $759 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 2% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $331 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 436% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $264 in Hanoi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $759 in Hanoi versus $1,013 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 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.