Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hearst Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hearst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,275 in Hearst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $3,329 in Hearst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $4,382 in Hearst.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 28% less than in Hearst, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Hearst 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$17.71 CA$24.56

-54.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$65.5 CA$90.9

-26.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$10.85 CA$15.04

-13.18%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.65 CA$5.07

-19.45%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.02 CA$2.80

-7.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.61 CA$2.23

-9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$5.30 CA$7.34

-39.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.85 CA$8.11

-2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.11 CA$2.93

-31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.65 CA$3.67

-9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.41 CA$4.73

-50.15%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.48 CA$4.83

-16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.16 CA$14.09

-0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$11.86 CA$16.45

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.77 CA$20.48

-3.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.91 CA$5.42

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.32 CA$1.83

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.68 CA$5.11

-41.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.90 CA$5.42

-41.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.55 CA$3.54

-21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.29 CA$3.17

-34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.49 CA$3.46

-51.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.68 CA$2.34

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$14.73 CA$20.42

-73.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.73 CA$17.66

10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.78 CA$3.85

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.17 CA$4.40

-13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$2.39 CA$3.31

-47.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$64.4 CA$89.4

20.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.87 CA$3.98

-54.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.47 CA$2.03

47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$23.89 CA$33.13

-65.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.13 CA$1.57

20.35%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.0K CA$38.8K

-1.92%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.8K CA$27.4K

84.90%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$139 CA$193

20.99%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$39.58 CA$54.9

-65.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$57.8 CA$80.2

-51.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$41.92 CA$58.1

9.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$18.64 CA$25.85

-7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$11.33 CA$15.72

-41.31%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$760 CA$1,054

5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.5K CA$18.7K

-31.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$54.0 CA$74.9

61.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$39.64 CA$55.0

49.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$88.0 CA$122

57.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$101 CA$139

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,287 CA$1,785

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,167 CA$1,618

-44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,005 CA$2,781

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,719 CA$2,384

-39.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,320 CA$5,992

-4.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$3,639 CA$5,046

-53.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$3,306 CA$4,585

-80.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.68

133.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hearst: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,287 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hearst pays 405% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $66.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $359 per month, with Medellin 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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Hearst differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $2,275 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 405% lower in Hearst. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,287 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $760 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Hearst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,275 in Hearst, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hearst. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Hearst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.