Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $650 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$650

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo 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 Antananarivo and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $650 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Antananarivo $650
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,004 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,004
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,358 per month in Antananarivo vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,358
Medellin $3,190

Antananarivo is about 60% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Antananarivo sits 52% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.2K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-66.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.32 MGA 92.7K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-55.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MGA 24.6K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-43.16%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MGA 7,251

$3.11 COP 9,866

-48.87%

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

$0.80 MGA 3,647

$1.83 COP 5,800

-56.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,033

$1.38 COP 4,360

-67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,488

$3.05 COP 9,672

-67.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-59.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MGA 4,197

$1.45 COP 4,600

-36.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MGA 4,700

$2.36 COP 7,496

-56.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,435

$1.68 COP 5,328

-55.36%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,435

$2.86 COP 9,077

-27.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MGA 37.4K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-54.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-65.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MGA 4,924

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-73.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,580

$1.50 COP 4,742

-62.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,749

$2.17 COP 6,891

-52.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,922

$2.31 COP 7,310

-62.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,696

$1.93 COP 6,113

-69.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MGA 4,438

$1.64 COP 5,196

-40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,441

$1.13 COP 3,571

-71.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MGA 3,013

$1.25 COP 3,954

-47.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,147

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-60.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 MGA 22.7K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-62.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,628

$1.70 COP 5,384

-40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MGA 8,410

$2.37 COP 7,525

-22.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 MGA 605

$1.21 COP 3,827

-89.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 15.2K

$1.32 COP 4,179

152.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MGA 9,126

$2.14 COP 6,774

-6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-48.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MGA 5,140

$1.30 COP 4,114

-13.08%

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

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-57.69%

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

$24.7K MGA 112.7M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-30.23%

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

$72.9 MGA 332.5K

$172 COP 545.6K

-57.64%

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

$16.41 MGA 74.9K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 MGA 260.1K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

98.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 MGA 132.1K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-36.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 MGA 32.8K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 MGA 25.9K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-9.55%

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

$24.15 MGA 110.2K

$770 COP 2.4M

-96.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.3M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

63.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.92 MGA 131.9K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-66.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.29 MGA 124.5K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-52.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MGA 349.4K

$137 COP 432.9K

-43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 MGA 309.4K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 MGA 1.5M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-69.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 MGA 674.2K

$616 COP 2.0M

-76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 MGA 3.3M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MGA 1.4M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-69.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$650 MGA 3.0M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-83.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$557 MGA 2.5M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$132 MGA 600.8K

$652 COP 2.1M

-79.81%

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 Antananarivo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$148 22.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 317% $468

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 46.4% $68

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$140 21.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 110% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$90 13.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 88.4% $80

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$71 10.9%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 137% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$40 6.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 43.4% $18

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 573% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $321 in Antananarivo versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 395% higher in Medellin, 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 $20.00 in Antananarivo versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $295 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

08:09 8:09 AM

8 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Medellin 13,710 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
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

Antananarivo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $975 per month in Antananarivo and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $650 in Antananarivo and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 148%.

Kindergarten costs $24.15 per month in Antananarivo and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Antananarivo, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Antananarivo – 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 Antananarivo. 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.