Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambatolampy and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $466 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ambatolampy, Madagascar
Medellin, Colombia
Ambatolampy
🇲🇬 Madagascar
$466
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambatolampy and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambatolampy and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $466 in Ambatolampy versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Ambatolampy $466
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $689 in Ambatolampy versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Ambatolampy $689
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $912 in Ambatolampy versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Ambatolampy $912
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in Ambatolampy costs roughly 72% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambatolampy is 66% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.60 MGA 11.9K
$8.09 COP 25.4K
-67.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.84 MGA 45.1K
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-79.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.64 MGA 25.9K
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-40.63%
Cappuccino
$1.58 MGA 7,263
$3.01 COP 9,485
-47.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 MGA 3,432
$1.80 COP 5,660
-58.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 MGA 2,058
$1.41 COP 4,443
-68.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.94 MGA 4,327
$3.18 COP 9,990
-70.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 MGA 9,798
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-62.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 MGA 3,898
$1.51 COP 4,751
-43.71%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 MGA 4,488
$2.38 COP 7,480
-58.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.70 MGA 3,230
$1.77 COP 5,573
-60.45%
Eggs
$1.95 MGA 8,945
$2.89 COP 9,093
-32.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.48 MGA 38.9K
$10.19 COP 32.1K
-16.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 MGA 20.1K
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-55.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.86 MGA 22.3K
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-65.26%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 MGA 4,727
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-74.06%
Banana (1kg)
$0.56 MGA 2,588
$1.55 COP 4,883
-63.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.03 MGA 4,704
$2.18 COP 6,867
-52.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.82 MGA 3,744
$2.18 COP 6,870
-62.39%
Potato (1kg)
$0.54 MGA 2,489
$1.96 COP 6,174
-72.45%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 MGA 4,154
$1.59 COP 5,000
-42.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.31 MGA 1,440
$1.15 COP 3,604
-73.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 MGA 3,262
$1.24 COP 3,911
-42.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.57 MGA 7,185
$3.96 COP 12.5K
-60.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.83 MGA 22.1K
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-64.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 MGA 4,612
$1.66 COP 5,221
-39.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 MGA 8,346
$2.26 COP 7,103
-19.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 MGA 15.3K
$1.27 COP 3,989
162.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 MGA 8,891
$2.05 COP 6,442
-5.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 MGA 20.1K
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-48.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 MGA 3,815
$1.35 COP 4,237
-38.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.7K MGA 53.8M
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-65.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K MGA 116.2M
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-26.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.4 MGA 327.7K
$170 COP 533.7K
-57.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.52 MGA 75.8K
$13.55 COP 42.6K
21.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.7 MGA 250.9K
$28.07 COP 88.3K
94.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.37 MGA 24.6K
$6.91 COP 21.7K
-22.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$23.91 MGA 109.7K
$797 COP 2.5M
-97.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K MGA 66.7M
$9,112 COP 28.7M
59.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.41 MGA 130.3K
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-66.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.96 MGA 123.7K
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-53.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MGA 347.7K
$135 COP 424.6K
-43.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.6 MGA 314.6K
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-29.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$642 COP 2.0M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ambatolampy
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15.75
10.94
43.97%

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

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambatolampy
$143
Medellin
$211 48.1% $69
Groceries & Markets
Ambatolampy
$139
Medellin
$297 114% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Ambatolampy
$90
Medellin
$169 88% $79
Eating Out
Ambatolampy
$70
Medellin
$170 141% $99
Getting Around
Ambatolampy
$13 *
Medellin
$94 618% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Ambatolampy
$11 *
Medellin
$58 436% $47
Accommodation & Living
Ambatolampy
- *
Medellin
$642

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $10 in Ambatolampy vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $297 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇬 Ambatolampy
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
01:28 1:28 AM
17:28 5:28 PM
8 h behind Ambatolampy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,291
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,107 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ambatolampy Medellin 13,700 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ambatolampy
  • Medellin

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
Ambatolampy vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ambatolampy or Medellin?
Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ambatolampy and in Medellin?
You’d need roughly $699 in Ambatolampy and $2,459 in Medellin 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.
How do childcare costs compare in Ambatolampy and in Medellin?
Childcare runs $24 in Ambatolampy versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Ambatolampy and in Medellin?
Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Ambatolampy or in Medellin?
At $466 in Ambatolampy versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ambatolampy or Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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