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 $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,327 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,073 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,820 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

Medellin costs about 29% more than Port-au-Prince, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Port-au-Prince is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$3.10 HTG 404

-56.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.73 HTG 356

-12.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.28 HTG 297

-25.44%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$5.49 HTG 716

-47.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$6.28 HTG 819

58.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$6.30 HTG 822

71.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.86 HTG 1,286

49.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$4.29 HTG 559

-4.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.55 HTG 201

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.23 HTG 161

73.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.39 HTG 312

-7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$5.25 HTG 685

-60.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.17 HTG 283

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.42 HTG 185

-16.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.44 HTG 188

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.56 HTG 203

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$15.09 HTG 1,967

-4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.65 HTG 215

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.30 HTG 300

23.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.18 HTG 23.41

550.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$20.22 HTG 2,636

284.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.40 HTG 52.0

220.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.38 HTG 50.0

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$19.77 HTG 2,577

-56.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.15 HTG 150

13.04%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

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

$176 COP 550.1K

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$50.7 HTG 6,609

-73.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$10.03 HTG 1,308

-38.19%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$74.4 HTG 9,705

-21.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$913 HTG 119.0K

16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$885 HTG 115.4K

-23.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$2,152 HTG 280.6K

-6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,857 HTG 242.1K

-37.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,688 HTG 220.1K

143.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,493 HTG 194.6K

13.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Port-au-Prince: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $913 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.

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 – Medellin is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,990 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 Port-au-Prince, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 284% less in Port-au-Prince. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Port-au-Prince, where all-in costs run around $1,327, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Port-au-Prince it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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