Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dambulla and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dambulla: $505 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dambulla
Learn more

Dambulla Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Dambulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $505 per month in Dambulla vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Dambulla $505
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $818 per month in Dambulla vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Dambulla $818
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,131 per month in Dambulla vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Dambulla $1,131
Medellin $3,186

Dambulla is about 69% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Dambulla sits 63% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 LKR 1,281

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-52.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.00 LKR 8,311

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-46.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 LKR 2,546

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-19.37%

Cappuccino

$2.47 LKR 821

$3.01 COP 9,485

-17.94%

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

$0.67 LKR 224

$1.80 COP 5,660

-62.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.9

$1.41 COP 4,443

-80.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 LKR 753

$3.18 COP 9,990

-28.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 975

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-49.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 543

$1.51 COP 4,751

7.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 188

$2.38 COP 7,480

-76.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 254

$1.77 COP 5,573

-56.50%

Eggs

$1.63 LKR 542

$2.89 COP 9,093

-43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 LKR 4,504

$10.19 COP 32.1K

32.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 LKR 1,635

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 LKR 2,428

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-47.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 LKR 2,152

$3.97 COP 12.5K

62.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 289

$1.55 COP 4,883

-43.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 LKR 1,441

$2.18 COP 6,867

98.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 440

$2.18 COP 6,870

-39.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 LKR 336

$1.96 COP 6,174

-48.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 262

$1.59 COP 5,000

-50.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 289

$1.15 COP 3,604

-24.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$1.24 COP 3,911

-65.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 LKR 3,440

$3.96 COP 12.5K

161.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 LKR 4,214

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 627

$1.66 COP 5,221

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 LKR 974

$2.26 COP 7,103

29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.07 LKR 23.76

$1.17 COP 3,674

-94.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$1.27 COP 3,989

-70.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 LKR 125

$2.05 COP 6,442

-81.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-89.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 456

$1.35 COP 4,237

1.48%

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

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

28.40%

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

$41.0K LKR 13.6M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

18.16%

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

$59.8 LKR 19.9K

$170 COP 533.7K

-64.77%

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

$4.30 LKR 1,431

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-68.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.98 LKR 6,976

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-25.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 LKR 1,520

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-33.86%

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

$37.27 LKR 12.4K

$797 COP 2.5M

-95.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,199 LKR 398.5K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-86.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,102

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-78.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.43 LKR 5,462

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-71.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 LKR 26.0K

$135 COP 424.6K

-42.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.03 LKR 13.6K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-58.08%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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 Dambulla: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dambulla

$234 46.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 26.9% $63

Eating Out

Dambulla

$104 20.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 62.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dambulla

$85 16.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 148% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Dambulla

$69 13.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 144% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Dambulla

$9.2 * 1.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 529% $48

Getting Around

Dambulla

$2.5 * 0.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 3583% $91

Accommodation & Living

Dambulla

- * 0%

Medellin

$642 39.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Dambulla versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $297 – making Dambulla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Dambulla

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

16:12 4:12 PM

10 h 30 min behind Dambulla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,800

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 = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dambulla Medellin 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Dambulla
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

Dambulla vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $505 in Dambulla, $1,639 in Medellin – Dambulla comes out roughly 69% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $757 per month in Dambulla and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Dambulla and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Dambulla, where all-in costs run around $505, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Dambulla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $505 in Dambulla to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.