Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Herat

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $399 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Herat

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $399 in Herat, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Herat $399

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $478 in Herat, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Herat $478

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $558 in Herat, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Herat $558

Medellin costs about 311% more than Herat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Herat is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$9.41 ؋611

400.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.75 ؋243

153.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ؋98.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 ؋511

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$0.79 ؋51.5

281.01%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.44 ؋28.56

309.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.61 ؋39.47

147.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.89 ؋123

52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$6.28 ؋408

122.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$0.63 ؋41.15

530.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.75 ؋48.82

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.64 ؋41.71

240.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.30 ؋19.37

553.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.32 ؋20.80

396.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.30 ؋19.18

313.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ؋30.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.17 ؋206

24.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$312 ؋20.3K

-45.71%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$15.41 ؋1,001

183.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Herat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Herat

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Herat

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Herat

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Herat

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Herat

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Herat

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Herat

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $9 in Herat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $48 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇫 Herat

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

349,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 64.93 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.46 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Herat 13,690 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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Herat

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 Herat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 311%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $598 in Herat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 513% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $9 in Herat. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $399, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Herat 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 $399 in Herat to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.