Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hawassa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hawassa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $822 in Hawassa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,230 in Hawassa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,638 in Hawassa, rent included.

Medellin costs about 26% more than Hawassa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Hawassa are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Hawassa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.41 ETB 689

34.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$35.09 ETB 5,484

-6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.58 ETB 1,029

9.42%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.23 ETB 193

38.21%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.64 ETB 100

71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.43 ETB 67.5

67.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.02 ETB 160

63.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.97 ETB 464

4.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.39 ETB 218

-23.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.34 ETB 209

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.03 ETB 161

34.95%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.60 ETB 251

41.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.21 ETB 1,127

-39.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$13.92 ETB 2,175

-58.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.28 ETB 2,075

-33.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$6.76 ETB 1,057

-66.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.97 ETB 152

11.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.16 ETB 338

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.90 ETB 141

52.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.67 ETB 105

68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.91 ETB 299

-41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.68 ETB 107

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.63 ETB 98.1

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.02 ETB 629

-42.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$5.76 ETB 900

93.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.00 ETB 156

19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.84 ETB 288

28.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.49 ETB 233

-3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.27 ETB 42.05

607.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.05 ETB 320

291.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.24 ETB 194

-24.19%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$55.1K ETB 8.6M

-67.48%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$53.0K ETB 8.3M

-49.46%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$158 ETB 24.7K

-46.87%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$11.98 ETB 1,872

-19.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$131 ETB 20.5K

-81.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.54 ETB 866

-29.24%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$81.7 ETB 12.8K

275.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$40.9K ETB 6.4M

-85.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$47.79 ETB 7,470

21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$75.0 ETB 11.7K

-57.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$92.5 ETB 14.5K

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$116 ETB 18.2K

-7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$503 ETB 78.5K

179.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-21.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Hawassa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $258 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hawassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,034 in Medellin, $822 in Hawassa – roughly 26% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,232 in Hawassa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $35.00 in Hawassa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 36% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $822, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Hawassa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $822 in Hawassa to $1,034 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Hawassa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.