Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,526 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $2,436 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $3,346 in Heraklion.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 33% less than in Heraklion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Heraklion is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$13.90 €11.97

-56.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$58.6 €50.5

-43.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$11.42 €9.83

-35.03%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$3.91 €3.37

-57.80%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$2.24 €1.93

-52.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.56 €0.48

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$5.70 €4.91

-69.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$5.82 €5.02

-45.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.90 €1.64

-44.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.47 €1.26

-10.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$2.71 €2.34

-50.55%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$5.60 €4.82

-60.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$16.78 €14.45

-73.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$11.60 €9.99

-50.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$14.63 €12.60

-41.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.32 €1.99

0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$2.14 €1.84

-48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.43 €1.23

6.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.88 €1.62

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.29 €1.11

-10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.52 €1.31

-22.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.93 €0.80

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.71 €0.61

21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$5.47 €4.71

-58.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$8.33 €7.17

39.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$2.18 €1.87

-44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$3.41 €2.94

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$1.59 €1.37

-50.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$46.47 €40.01

-12.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$4.65 €4.00

-68.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$11.68 €10.06

-33.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$2.08 €1.79

-51.44%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$35.2K €30.3K

-49.80%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$25.6K €22.0K

3.53%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$216 €186

-62.49%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$23.52 €20.25

-59.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$36.46 €31.40

-34.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$51.3 €44.17

-49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$40.75 €35.09

-54.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$9.30 €8.01

-56.02%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$419 €361

-25.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$4,151 €3,575

45.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$98.1 €84.5

-39.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$45.63 €39.29

-29.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$87.2 €75.1

16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$132 €114

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$535 €461

-9.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$431 €371

-15.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$1,039 €895

-20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$883 €760

-17.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$4,020 €3,462

-25.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$2,896 €2,494

-54.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,147 €988

-51.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.44

202.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $535 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 108% 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 $59.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $312 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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Heraklion earns 108% less. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $535 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $419 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,526 in Heraklion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Heraklion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.