Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Herceg Novi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Herceg Novi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,282 in Herceg Novi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,079 in Herceg Novi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,876 in Herceg Novi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 34% more expensive than in Herceg Novi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Herceg Novi is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$11.40 €9.80

-29.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$38.04 €32.71

26.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$9.14 €7.86

6.89%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.61 €2.24

11.49%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$2.56 €2.20

-24.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$1.64 €1.41

-7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.92 €2.51

5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.53 €3.03

62.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.20 €1.03

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.00 €0.86

139.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.94 €2.53

-42.18%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$3.10 €2.66

-7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$9.19 €7.90

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$7.43 €6.39

45.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$13.00 €11.18

13.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.34 €1.15

205.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.57 €1.35

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.67 €1.44

27.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.99 €2.57

-26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.91 €0.78

125.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.36 €1.17

10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.50 €1.29

-20.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.99 €0.85

17.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.00 €3.44

-2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$4.53 €3.90

218.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.32 €1.14

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.84 €1.59

53.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$1.79 €1.54

-34.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$47.38 €40.73

64.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$3.10 €2.66

-58.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.18 €1.02

77.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$17.63 €15.15

-51.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.80 €1.55

-27.78%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$33.8K €29.0K

-18.08%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$21.8K €18.8K

62.60%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$137 €118

28.29%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$13.28 €11.42

0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$35.68 €30.67

-16.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$57.8 €49.67

-22.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$11.71 €10.07

45.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$8.31 €7.14

-25.39%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$466 €400

70.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$7,235 €6,220

24.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$85.9 €73.9

-0.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$35.37 €30.41

65.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$74.6 €64.2

82.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$97.7 €84.0

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$682 €587

55.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$415 €357

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,303 €1,120

54.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$927 €797

26.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$3,887 €3,342

5.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,457 €2,112

-30.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,069 €919

-37.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Herceg Novi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Herceg Novi pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Herceg Novi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $230 per month, with Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Herceg Novi differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,282 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Herceg Novi. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Herceg Novi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,282 in Herceg Novi versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Herceg Novi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Herceg Novi 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.