Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hue

For one person, living is cheaper in Hue: $491 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hue
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Hue Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Hue

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hue

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $491 in Hue, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Hue $491

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $859 in Hue, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Hue $859

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,226 in Hue, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Hue $1,226

Medellin costs about 234% more than Hue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Hue is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.18 ₫30.4K

585.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$11.55 ₫298.0K

307.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$3.53 ₫91.1K

169.12%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.08 ₫27.8K

178.70%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.55 ₫14.1K

227.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.34 ₫8,893

314.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$0.78 ₫20.2K

307.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.23 ₫31.6K

367.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.35 ₫34.9K

11.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.82 ₫21.3K

190.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.78 ₫20.1K

126.92%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.54 ₫39.8K

87.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.71 ₫328.0K

-19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.10 ₫105.9K

140.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.56 ₫246.6K

46.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.51 ₫64.8K

58.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.10 ₫28.5K

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.32 ₫34.0K

65.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.70 ₫18.1K

211.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.93 ₫23.9K

110.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.17 ₫30.1K

35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.60 ₫15.6K

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.41 ₫10.5K

202.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.30 ₫33.6K

204.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$7.79 ₫201.0K

75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.74 ₫19.1K

124.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.27 ₫32.7K

77.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.34 ₫8,669

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$7.54 ₫194.5K

926.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.49 ₫12.7K

159.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.56 ₫14.3K

266.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.53 ₫65.4K

237.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.88 ₫22.6K

53.41%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$30.8K ₫794.5M

10.64%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$28.5K ₫735.2M

21.67%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$37.31 ₫962.6K

354.70%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$6.39 ₫164.8K

112.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$7.81 ₫201.5K

259.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$39.42 ₫1.0M

10.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$7.45 ₫192.3K

130.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.43 ₫88.6K

101.46%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$191 ₫4.9M

317.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,007 ₫232.4M

1.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$30.77 ₫793.9K

175.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$18.79 ₫484.9K

208.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$38.41 ₫991.1K

251.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$39.12 ₫1.0M

150.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$130 ₫3.4M

826.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$101 ₫2.6M

537.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$528 ₫13.6M

283.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$354 ₫9.1M

185.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,485 ₫38.3M

180.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,140 ₫29.4M

67.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$293 ₫7.5M

124.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.87

59.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hue: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Hue

$101 20.5% 84.3% $541

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Hue

$181 36.8% 39.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Hue

$52 10.5% 75.6% $160

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Hue

$43 8.7% 74.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Hue

$57 11.6% 66.2% $112

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Hue

$12 2.5% 87% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Hue

$46 9.4% 19.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $130 in Hue. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.2 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $12 in Hue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $181 – making Hue the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇳 Hue

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

01:23 1:23 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,166,500

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Hue 17,460 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hue

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 Hue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 234%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $737 in Hue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hue, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $130 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 90% less in Hue. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $191 in Hue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hue, where all-in costs run around $491, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Hue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hue – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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