Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: $487 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Learn more

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $487 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $487
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $790 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $790
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,093 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,093
Medellin $3,199

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is about 70% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia sits 64% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.49 LKR 494

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-82.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.02 LKR 8,286

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-46.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 LKR 2,481

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-18.94%

Cappuccino

$2.54 LKR 840

$3.05 COP 9,676

-16.72%

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

$0.73 LKR 240

$1.80 COP 5,707

-59.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.3

$1.38 COP 4,382

-80.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 LKR 736

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-31.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 993

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-46.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 537

$1.50 COP 4,760

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$2.37 COP 7,508

-77.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$1.70 COP 5,377

-52.35%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 546

$2.96 COP 9,379

-44.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 LKR 4,614

$10.22 COP 32.4K

36.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 LKR 1,606

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-50.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 LKR 2,496

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-45.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 LKR 2,125

$4.13 COP 13.1K

55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.53 COP 4,839

-43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 LKR 1,448

$2.22 COP 7,052

96.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LKR 426

$2.27 COP 7,194

-43.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 332

$1.99 COP 6,311

-49.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 259

$1.67 COP 5,285

-53.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 291

$1.18 COP 3,742

-25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 149

$1.24 COP 3,919

-63.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 LKR 3,439

$3.87 COP 12.3K

168.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 LKR 4,317

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-5.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 626

$1.66 COP 5,256

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 994

$2.40 COP 7,615

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$1.28 COP 4,044

-70.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$2.15 COP 6,803

-83.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-89.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 457

$1.35 COP 4,288

2.22%

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

$43.0K LKR 14.2M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

23.62%

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

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

16.72%

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

$58.3 LKR 19.3K

$167 COP 528.4K

-65.00%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,418

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-68.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 LKR 6,888

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-28.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 LKR 1,519

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-34.15%

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

$38.36 LKR 12.7K

$790 COP 2.5M

-95.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,206 LKR 399.5K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-86.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.46 LKR 6,116

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-78.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.53 LKR 5,474

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-71.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

$139 COP 440.7K

-43.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.38 LKR 14.0K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 LKR 152.2K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-75.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 LKR 71.4K

$663 COP 2.1M

-67.52%

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$236 48.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 26.1% $62

Eating Out

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$86 17.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 98.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$83 17.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 151% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$70 14.4%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 146% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$9.2 * 1.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 544% $50

Getting Around

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$2.1 * 0.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 4390% $93

Accommodation & Living

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

- * 0%

Medellin

$619 38.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 208% 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 $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $298 – making Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

23:33 11:33 PM

10 h 30 min behind Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,827

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 22, 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 22, 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

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Medellin 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
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

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 234% more than Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $730 per month in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $2,437 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 $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, where all-in costs run around $487, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia costs $487 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. 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.