Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hartebeespoort Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hartebeespoort

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $971 in Hartebeespoort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,511 in Hartebeespoort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,052 in Hartebeespoort.

Living in Medellin is roughly 73% more expensive than in Hartebeespoort, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Hartebeespoort is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$8.70 R 141

-7.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$38.85 R 632

23.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.72 R 92.9

72.90%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.10 R 34.14

49.05%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.11 R 17.98

72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.92 R 14.95

64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.30 R 37.37

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.83 R 46.00

103.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.15 R 18.76

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.04 R 16.98

139.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.52 R 24.70

16.45%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.62 R 42.58

12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$7.48 R 122

34.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.64 R 75.4

118.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$6.71 R 109

113.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.62 R 26.34

155.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.45 R 23.54

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.44 R 23.39

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.49 R 24.21

51.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.23 R 20.05

65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.28 R 20.87

20.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.01 R 16.46

15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.96 R 15.60

36.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.04 R 49.35

28.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$4.95 R 80.4

183.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.42 R 23.09

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.96 R 31.84

46.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$2.50 R 40.59

-51.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$50.5 R 821

59.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$0.95 R 15.47

37.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.96 R 15.62

128.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$4.37 R 71.0

99.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.54 R 25.01

-11.04%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$20.6K R 334.1K

35.45%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$27.5K R 447.2K

30.04%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$106 R 1,722

67.37%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$24.29 R 395

-42.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$32.59 R 530

-8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$32.84 R 534

36.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$9.55 R 155

79.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.18 R 100

7.61%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$227 R 3,696

257.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,605 R 74.9K

99.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$40.86 R 664

119.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$26.92 R 438

119.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$72.6 R 1,180

90.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$57.6 R 937

77.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$254 R 4,125

318.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$291 R 4,730

127.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$622 R 10.1K

203.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$576 R 9,370

78.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$467 R 7,588

796.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$592 R 9,621

182.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,097 R 34.1K

-67.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.91

0.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Hartebeespoort: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $254 in Hartebeespoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartebeespoort pays 209% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Hartebeespoort for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $177 per month, with Hartebeespoort 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 Hartebeespoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hartebeespoort is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 209% lower in Hartebeespoort. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $254 in Hartebeespoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $227 in Hartebeespoort. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Hartebeespoort versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hartebeespoort but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hartebeespoort the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hartebeespoort is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hartebeespoort 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 Hartebeespoort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.