Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port-au-Prince Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port-au-Prince

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $2,035 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $3,233 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $4,430 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

Medellin is about 50% cheaper than Port-au-Prince, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Medellin sits 24% below the global median, while Port-au-Prince is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$12.07 HTG 1,574

-50.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$87.6 HTG 11.4K

-62.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$11.53 HTG 1,503

-38.51%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$1.68 HTG 218

1.79%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$2.03 HTG 264

-45.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$1.47 HTG 192

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$4.87 HTG 635

-65.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$7.03 HTG 917

-56.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.49 HTG 194

-26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$2.46 HTG 321

-48.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$2.95 HTG 384

-53.22%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.81 HTG 367

-22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.04 HTG 1,309

-56.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$15.30 HTG 1,995

-63.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$11.97 HTG 1,560

-25.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$5.09 HTG 664

-54.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.23 HTG 161

-13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.02 HTG 133

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$0.97 HTG 127

42.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$4.86 HTG 634

-76.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$2.77 HTG 361

-58.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.97 HTG 127

-8.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$1.12 HTG 146

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$1.95 HTG 254

16.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$14.98 HTG 1,953

-28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.71 HTG 223

-29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.96 HTG 256

26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.19 HTG 24.49

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$20.32 HTG 2,649

103.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$0.37 HTG 48.09

297.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.38 HTG 50.2

415.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$20.08 HTG 2,619

-61.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.11 HTG 145

-14.41%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$34.5K HTG 4.5M

-47.47%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$45.6K HTG 5.9M

-41.93%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$99.0 HTG 12.9K

-16.94%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$50.2 HTG 6,538

-81.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$165 HTG 21.5K

-85.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$69.4 HTG 9,045

-62.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$19.87 HTG 2,591

-4.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.80 HTG 1,278

-59.90%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$98.8 HTG 12.9K

213.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$6,914 HTG 901.4K

-13.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$79.8 HTG 10.4K

-26.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$74.2 HTG 9,668

-56.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$122 HTG 15.9K

-15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$149 HTG 19.5K

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$893 HTG 116.5K

-46.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$879 HTG 114.6K

-56.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,126 HTG 277.2K

-60.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,849 HTG 241.0K

-60.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,731 HTG 225.7K

61.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,498 HTG 195.3K

-19.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port-au-Prince: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $893 in Port-au-Prince. 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 $88.0 in Port-au-Prince. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $327 – making Medellin 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 Port-au-Prince: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port-au-Prince is pricier by about 101%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $3,053 in Port-au-Prince. 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 $88.0 in Port-au-Prince. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,013 in Medellin and $2,035 in Port-au-Prince. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Port-au-Prince at $2,035. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port-au-Prince it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port-au-Prince makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.