Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentota and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $774 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$774

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Bentota versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Bentota $774
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $896 in Bentota versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Bentota $896
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Bentota versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Bentota $1,018
Medellin $3,190

Living in Bentota costs roughly 52% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bentota is 43% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.29 LKR 1,421

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-45.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.97 LKR 3,965

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-74.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 LKR 2,560

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-18.63%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 815

$3.11 COP 9,866

-20.90%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$1.83 COP 5,800

-62.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.2

$1.38 COP 4,360

-81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 742

$3.05 COP 9,672

-26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,016

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-44.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 535

$1.45 COP 4,600

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$2.36 COP 7,496

-77.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 244

$1.68 COP 5,328

-55.95%

Eggs

$1.56 LKR 518

$2.86 COP 9,077

-45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 LKR 4,648

$10.19 COP 32.3K

37.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 LKR 1,099

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-65.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 LKR 1,529

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-67.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.81 LKR 2,257

$4.07 COP 12.9K

67.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.50 COP 4,742

-51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 LKR 1,519

$2.17 COP 6,891

111.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 LKR 297

$2.31 COP 7,310

-61.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.93 COP 6,113

-48.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$1.64 COP 5,196

-51.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 312

$1.13 COP 3,571

-16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 143

$1.25 COP 3,954

-65.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,356

$3.99 COP 12.6K

153.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 LKR 4,424

$13.35 COP 42.3K

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.70 COP 5,384

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 963

$2.37 COP 7,525

22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 61.0

$1.21 COP 3,827

-85.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$1.32 COP 4,179

-69.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$2.14 COP 6,774

-85.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-89.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.30 COP 4,114

6.92%

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

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

32.78%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

13.30%

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

$54.0 LKR 17.9K

$172 COP 545.6K

-68.60%

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

$2.23 LKR 739

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-83.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.03 LKR 2,990

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-68.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-31.85%

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

$38.08 LKR 12.6K

$770 COP 2.4M

-95.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,230 LKR 407.3K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-86.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.80 LKR 5,897

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-79.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.82 LKR 5,573

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-70.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

$137 COP 432.9K

-41.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.09 LKR 13.9K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-57.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 LKR 179.2K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 LKR 98.7K

$616 COP 2.0M

-51.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

10.94

16.00%

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

Last update for Bentota: 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

Bentota

$298 38.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 107% $318

Groceries & Markets

Bentota

$220 28.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 33.8% $74

Eating Out

Bentota

$108 14%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 55.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Bentota

$71 9.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 141% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentota

$65 8.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 228% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Bentota

$8.6 * 1.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 575% $49

Getting Around

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 3356% $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 $541 in Bentota and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Bentota vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $295 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bentota

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

17:07 5:07 PM

10 h 30 min behind Bentota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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 LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bentota Medellin 16,960 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Bentota
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

Bentota vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,160 in Bentota and $2,421 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $541 in Bentota versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $774 per month in Bentota versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Bentota versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.