Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $1,778 in Hays, KS, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hays, KS

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Hays, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,778 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Hays, KS $1,778

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,517 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Hays, KS $2,517

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,256 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Hays, KS $3,256

Medellin is about 5% cheaper than Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Hays, KS sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Hays, KS by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$11.83 $11.83

-29.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$41.42 $41.42

12.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$8.10 $8.10

16.91%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$4.09 $4.09

-23.47%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$2.48 $2.48

-28.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.97 $0.97

46.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.82 $3.82

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$4.13 $4.13

38.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.83 $0.83

84.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$2.22 $2.22

3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$4.30 $4.30

-54.88%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$2.05 $2.05

49.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$4.37 $4.37

128.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$8.67 $8.67

20.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$13.30 $13.30

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$6.36 $6.36

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.65 $1.65

-7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$5.99 $5.99

-64.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$4.37 $4.37

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$3.79 $3.79

-44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.19 $2.19

-21.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.94 $1.94

-39.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$1.94 $1.94

-18.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$9.49 $9.49

-58.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$11.97 $11.97

17.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.15 $2.15

-18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$3.90 $3.90

-30.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$2.01 $2.01

-41.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$65.1 $65.1

17.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$2.52 $2.52

-28.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$1.53 $1.53

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$40.54 $40.54

-79.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.03 $1.03

24.27%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$28.2K $28.2K

22.21%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$26.6K $26.6K

28.53%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$273 $273

-35.00%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$34.81 $34.81

-60.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$63.2 $63.2

-51.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$36.63 $36.63

14.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$15.02 $15.02

-50.27%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$925 $925

-14.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$17.8K $17.8K

-30.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$24.23 $24.23

256.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$29.97 $29.97

97.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$103 $103

34.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$110 $110

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$806 $806

66.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$598 $598

11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$999 $999

97.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$903 $903

14.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,596 $2,596

57.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$2,572 $2,572

-24.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$2,362 $2,362

-72.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.57

66.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Hays, KS

$598 33.6% 10.3% $69

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Hays, KS

$329 18.5% 7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Hays, KS

$371 20.9% 67% $149

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Hays, KS

$209 11.8% 21.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Hays, KS

$120 6.8% 30.1% $52

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Hays, KS

$83 4.7% 10.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Hays, KS

$67 3.8% 17.2% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $806 in Hays, KS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hays, KS are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $41 in Hays, KS. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $329 in Hays, KS – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

02:58 2:58 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,726

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Hays, KS 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hays, KS

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,667 in Hays, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hays, KS, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $806 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Hays, KS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $925 in Hays, KS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,778 in Hays, KS, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $1,778 in Hays, KS. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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