Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hillcrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hillcrest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,293 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,873 in Hillcrest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $2,453 in Hillcrest, rent included.

Medellin is about 20% cheaper than Hillcrest, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Hillcrest are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Hillcrest 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$7.59 R 127

-22.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$28.38 R 476

15.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.98 R 83.6

44.58%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.99 R 33.31

-14.57%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.94 R 15.82

17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.67 R 11.28

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.95 R 32.63

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.17 R 36.45

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.91 R 15.33

16.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.58 R 9.80

115.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.15 R 19.29

20.87%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.21 R 37.05

2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.33 R 123

-40.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.98 R 66.7

46.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.31 R 106

39.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.41 R 23.64

58.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.13 R 18.96

-4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.32 R 22.07

15.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.30 R 21.75

5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.26 R 21.05

-10.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.17 R 19.61

-4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.02 R 17.14

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.81 R 13.61

12.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.82 R 47.22

-17.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$4.56 R 76.5

144.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.41 R 23.73

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.69 R 28.37

40.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.68 R 28.24

-52.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.64 R 27.57

-12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.58 R 9.67

229.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.56 R 110

22.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.32 R 22.16

-28.79%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.8K R 332.8K

-9.68%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.9K R 401.6K

11.87%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$145 R 2,437

-42.22%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$29.75 R 499

-67.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$33.40 R 560

-27.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$30.61 R 513

-15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.77 R 114

-42.10%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$208 R 3,496

46.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,538 R 76.1K

30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$42.15 R 707

37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$29.88 R 501

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$95.5 R 1,602

4.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$72.7 R 1,219

47.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$360 R 6,036

35.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$675 R 11.3K

-45.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$691 R 11.6K

19.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,134 R 19.0K

-36.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$707 R 11.9K

313.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$592 R 9,923

137.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.01

11.82%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hillcrest: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $360 in Hillcrest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Hillcrest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $154 – making Hillcrest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hillcrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,034 in Medellin, $1,293 in Hillcrest – roughly 25% apart. Hillcrest costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,940 in Hillcrest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $28.00 in Hillcrest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Hillcrest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Hillcrest at $1,293. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillcrest 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 $1,034 in Medellin to $1,293 in Hillcrest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hillcrest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.