Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Havana Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Havana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $964 in Havana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,538 in Havana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,112 in Havana.

Living in Medellin is roughly 5% more expensive than Havana, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Havana 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.71 CUP 89.0

61.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$29.74 CUP 714

10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.47 CUP 155

9.58%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.24 CUP 29.75

37.90%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$2.22 CUP 53.4

-50.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.52 CUP 36.56

-48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.01 CUP 48.25

-16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.46 CUP 59.1

24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$3.36 CUP 80.7

-67.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.07 CUP 25.70

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.35 CUP 56.4

-41.28%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$3.56 CUP 85.5

-38.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.93 CUP 118

-10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.29 CUP 127

6.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.56 CUP 229

-7.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$5.03 CUP 121

-53.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.38 CUP 33.13

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$2.42 CUP 58.2

-38.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.69 CUP 40.54

-18.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$2.81 CUP 67.4

-59.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$2.77 CUP 66.5

-58.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.02 CUP 24.57

-12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.14 CUP 27.35

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.90 CUP 93.6

-41.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$3.97 CUP 95.3

168.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$2.09 CUP 50.2

-42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.93 CUP 46.22

27.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$1.28 CUP 30.74

-32.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$24.77 CUP 595

67.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$3.13 CUP 75.0

-53.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.48 CUP 11.53

308.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$15.13 CUP 363

-48.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.26 CUP 30.30

-24.60%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$60.5K CUP 1.5M

-70.01%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$66.9K CUP 1.6M

-60.40%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$37.68 CUP 904

118.29%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$40.35 CUP 968

-76.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$74.3 CUP 1,782

-67.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$40.12 CUP 963

-35.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$6.12 CUP 147

210.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$0.88 CUP 21.16

346.59%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$114 CUP 2,741

170.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$10.1K CUP 242.3K

-40.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$40.14 CUP 963

46.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$33.68 CUP 808

-3.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$75.1 CUP 1,802

36.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$84.5 CUP 2,027

28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$371 CUP 8,905

28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$291 CUP 6,982

30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,012 CUP 24.3K

-17.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$596 CUP 14.3K

21.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$335 CUP 8,037

733.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$406 CUP 9,742

198.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$33.02 CUP 792

1449.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.43

80.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Havana: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $371 in Havana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1450% 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 $30.00 in Havana. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $243, 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 Havana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Havana differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $964 including rent). Havana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 1450% 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 $371 in Havana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Havana – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $964 in Havana – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $964 in Havana versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Havana 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 Havana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.