Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badulla and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $547 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$547

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $547 in Badulla versus $1,692 in Medellin.

Badulla $547
Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $883 in Badulla versus $2,471 in Medellin.

Badulla $883
Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,219 in Badulla versus $3,249 in Medellin.

Badulla $1,219
Medellin $3,249

Living in Badulla costs roughly 68% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Badulla is 60% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 LKR 1,276

$8.34 COP 26.9K

-53.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.93 LKR 8,291

$46.53 COP 150.1K

-46.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 LKR 2,507

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-20.38%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 823

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-21.09%

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

$0.68 LKR 227

$1.77 COP 5,696

-61.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.6

$1.42 COP 4,594

-80.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 752

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 LKR 1,006

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-47.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 539

$1.53 COP 4,943

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$2.29 COP 7,389

-75.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 LKR 203

$1.94 COP 6,273

-68.56%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$3.07 COP 9,889

-46.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 LKR 5,038

$9.99 COP 32.2K

51.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 LKR 1,230

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-64.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 LKR 2,528

$13.96 COP 45.0K

-45.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 LKR 2,198

$4.05 COP 13.1K

63.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 LKR 296

$1.53 COP 4,929

-41.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,421

$2.10 COP 6,786

103.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 LKR 420

$2.29 COP 7,397

-44.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 LKR 362

$2.11 COP 6,803

-48.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 261

$1.71 COP 5,512

-53.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 LKR 405

$1.17 COP 3,774

4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 152

$1.58 COP 5,096

-70.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 LKR 3,375

$3.91 COP 12.6K

159.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 LKR 4,428

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 LKR 634

$1.76 COP 5,682

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 LKR 947

$2.71 COP 8,746

5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 136

$1.81 COP 5,827

-77.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 LKR 111

$2.13 COP 6,867

-84.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

$8.13 COP 26.2K

-89.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 454

$1.28 COP 4,113

7.03%

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

$42.8K LKR 14.2M

$34.4K COP 111.1M

24.30%

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

$46.1K LKR 15.3M

$34.1K COP 110.1M

35.06%

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

$56.2 LKR 18.7K

$178 COP 573.2K

-68.36%

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

$4.32 LKR 1,437

$13.89 COP 44.8K

-68.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,873

$30.74 COP 99.1K

-32.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 LKR 1,461

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-41.23%

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

$40.51 LKR 13.5K

$790 COP 2.5M

-94.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

$12.3K COP 39.7M

42.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.24 LKR 6,068

$86.3 COP 278.4K

-78.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.37 LKR 5,779

$59.3 COP 191.1K

-70.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

$138 COP 446.2K

-43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.18 LKR 13.7K

$98.8 COP 318.7K

-58.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.3 LKR 25.4K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-94.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$44.38 LKR 14.8K

$667 COP 2.2M

-93.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 LKR 29.9K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-91.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,570 LKR 1.5M

$4,098 COP 13.2M

11.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$747 LKR 248.4K

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-61.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 LKR 73.7K

$646 COP 2.1M

-65.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

10.94

14.26%

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

Last update for Badulla: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Badulla

$237 43.3%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 30% $71

Eating Out

Badulla

$104 19.1%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 65.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badulla

$81 14.9%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 174% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Badulla

$69 12.7%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 148% $103

Accommodation & Living

Badulla

$44 8.1%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 1403% $623

Sport & Entertainment

Badulla

$8.8 * 1.6%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 548% $48

Getting Around

Badulla

$2.1 * 0.4%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 4393% $91

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76 in Badulla and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.9 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25 in Badulla vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $307 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Badulla

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

00:18 12:18 AM

10 h 30 min behind Badulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.67 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Badulla Medellin 17,040 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Badulla
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

Badulla vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is about 68% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Badulla. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $76 in Badulla versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $41 in Badulla versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $547 in Badulla versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Badulla wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.