Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colombo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Colombo: $804 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Colombo
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Colombo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Colombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$804

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Colombo versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Colombo $804
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Colombo versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Colombo $1,240
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,675 in Colombo versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Colombo $1,675
Medellin $3,186

Living in Colombo costs roughly 51% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Colombo is 41% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 LKR 1,242

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-53.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.72 LKR 8,214

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-47.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 LKR 2,527

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 814

$3.01 COP 9,485

-18.60%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$1.80 COP 5,660

-62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.8

$1.41 COP 4,443

-80.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 739

$3.18 COP 9,990

-30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,019

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-46.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.51 COP 4,751

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 LKR 178

$2.38 COP 7,480

-77.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$1.77 COP 5,573

-54.80%

Eggs

$1.71 LKR 567

$2.89 COP 9,093

-40.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 LKR 4,625

$10.19 COP 32.1K

36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 LKR 1,590

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-51.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 LKR 2,480

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-46.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 LKR 2,126

$3.97 COP 12.5K

61.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 283

$1.55 COP 4,883

-45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 LKR 1,416

$2.18 COP 6,867

95.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 LKR 443

$2.18 COP 6,870

-38.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 334

$1.96 COP 6,174

-48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 270

$1.59 COP 5,000

-49.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$1.15 COP 3,604

-19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 151

$1.24 COP 3,911

-63.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 LKR 3,434

$3.96 COP 12.5K

160.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 LKR 4,277

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 642

$1.66 COP 5,222

16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 999

$2.26 COP 7,104

32.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 59.3

$1.17 COP 3,674

-84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.96 LKR 1,982

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-92.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$1.27 COP 3,989

-68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$2.05 COP 6,442

-82.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 LKR 312

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-89.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.35 COP 4,237

-2.22%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

27.43%

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

$39.7K LKR 13.2M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

14.46%

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

$58.9 LKR 19.6K

$170 COP 533.7K

-65.31%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,396

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-69.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,851

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-26.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.88 LKR 6,609

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-54.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 LKR 1,932

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-66.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 LKR 1,468

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-36.03%

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

$38.13 LKR 12.7K

$797 COP 2.5M

-95.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 LKR 403.4K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-86.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.77 LKR 5,905

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-79.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 LKR 5,523

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-71.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 LKR 25.8K

$135 COP 424.6K

-42.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.22 LKR 14.0K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-56.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 LKR 194.7K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-51.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 LKR 91.4K

$642 COP 2.0M

-57.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 LKR 557.4K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-17.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 LKR 162.9K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-51.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 LKR 1.2M

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-12.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 LKR 384.9K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-39.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LKR 86.0K

$657 COP 2.1M

-60.64%

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 Colombo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colombo

$275 34.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 133% $366

Groceries & Markets

Colombo

$235 29.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 26.3% $62

Eating Out

Colombo

$103 12.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 64.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colombo

$84 10.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 153% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Colombo

$69 8.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 143% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Colombo

$29 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 100% $29

Getting Around

Colombo

$8.8 1.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 960% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Colombo and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Colombo vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $297 per month, with Colombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Colombo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

09:02 9:02 AM

10 h 30 min behind Colombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

753,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Colombo Medellin 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Colombo
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

Colombo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Colombo. 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: $586 in Colombo versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Colombo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $804 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.