Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hermanus Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hermanus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,166 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,821 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,475 in Hermanus.

Living in Medellin is roughly 41% more expensive than in Hermanus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Hermanus is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$13.55 R 218

-40.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$37.29 R 601

29.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.99 R 96.5

57.26%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.40 R 38.57

22.50%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.07 R 17.22

73.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.81 R 13.02

80.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.15 R 34.60

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.44 R 39.23

134.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.21 R 19.50

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.17 R 18.76

105.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.67 R 26.97

1.80%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.89 R 46.54

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.80 R 142

14.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.27 R 84.8

89.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.48 R 104

119.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.79 R 28.86

122.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.72 R 27.76

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.65 R 26.62

30.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.71 R 27.58

34.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.43 R 23.07

39.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.68 R 27.04

-10.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.37 R 21.98

-12.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.36 R 21.92

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.30 R 53.2

16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.39 R 119

89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.51 R 24.31

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.03 R 32.65

34.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.72 R 27.68

-27.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.65 R 10.43

101.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.82 R 13.24

164.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.45 R 152

-12.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.46 R 23.56

-6.85%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$31.7K R 509.9K

-13.23%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.4K R 553.6K

6.29%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$143 R 2,296

18.33%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$35.21 R 567

-61.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$42.48 R 684

-33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$21.68 R 349

110.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.32 R 231

20.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.09 R 98.1

9.20%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$282 R 4,534

185.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,468 R 104.2K

42.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$55.7 R 897

56.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$38.35 R 618

54.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$107 R 1,726

29.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$93.0 R 1,498

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$421 R 6,785

154.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$370 R 5,956

76.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$817 R 13.2K

135.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$774 R 12.5K

35.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$881 R 14.2K

367.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$685 R 11.0K

147.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $421 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $204 per month, with Hermanus 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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,749 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $421 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,166 in Hermanus – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,166 in Hermanus versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hermanus 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 Hermanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.