Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hella

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Hella: $1,692 and $1,723 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Hella
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Hella Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hella

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 Hella actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,723 in Hella, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Hella $1,723

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,927 in Hella, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Hella $2,927

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,131 in Hella, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Hella $4,131

Medellin and Hella have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Medellin and Hella sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Hella by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$31.22 ISK 3,793

-73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$121 ISK 14.7K

-61.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$27.24 ISK 3,310

-65.23%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$6.89 ISK 837

-54.57%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$3.25 ISK 395

-45.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$3.08 ISK 375

-53.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$14.16 ISK 1,721

-77.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$12.30 ISK 1,495

-53.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$2.00 ISK 243

-23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$4.30 ISK 522

-46.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$3.66 ISK 444

-46.99%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$7.27 ISK 883

-57.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$21.85 ISK 2,654

-54.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$24.10 ISK 2,928

-56.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$41.15 ISK 4,999

-66.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.36 ISK 408

20.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$2.83 ISK 343

-45.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$3.21 ISK 390

-34.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$6.56 ISK 798

-65.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$3.91 ISK 475

-46.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$1.69 ISK 205

1.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$3.64 ISK 442

-67.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$1.83 ISK 223

-13.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$13.97 ISK 1,697

-72.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$23.32 ISK 2,834

-39.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$3.66 ISK 445

-51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$3.49 ISK 424

-22.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$6.76 ISK 821

-73.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$2.75 ISK 334

-22.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$80.8 ISK 9,813

-89.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$2.10 ISK 255

-39.05%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$67.9K ISK 8.2M

-49.25%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$56.3K ISK 6.8M

-39.33%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$96.8 ISK 11.8K

83.55%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$32.49 ISK 3,948

-57.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

-63.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$19.81 ISK 2,407

-62.29%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$1,205 ISK 146.4K

-34.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

-51.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$150 ISK 18.2K

-42.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$66.8 ISK 8,112

-11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$185 ISK 22.5K

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$252 ISK 30.6K

-60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.81

24.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hella: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Hella

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Hella

$619 35.9% 101% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Hella

$214 12.4% 3.6% $8

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Hella

$535 31.1% 210% $362

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Hella

$294 17.1% 70.8% $122

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Hella

$20 * 1.2% 78.1% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Hella

$40 * 2.3% 30.4% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $121 in Hella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $619 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇸 Hella

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Hella 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hella

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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,584 in Hella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,205 in Hella. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Hella, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,723 in Hella, 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 $1,723 in Hella. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.