Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hulhumale and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,506 in Hulhumale versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Hulhumale versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,854 in Hulhumale versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 46% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 12% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.41 MVR 83.7

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-8.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.88 MVR 446

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-11.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 MVR 154

$7.20 COP 26.2K

38.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 MVR 70.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MVR 57.8

Cappuccino

$2.84 MVR 43.96

$1.70 COP 6,186

67.06%

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

$1.33 MVR 20.52

$1.10 COP 3,996

20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.86

$0.72 COP 2,625

-65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MVR 27.47

$1.06 COP 3,837

67.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MVR 23.93

$1.25 COP 4,531

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.17

$1.39 COP 5,060

-76.26%

Eggs

$1.54 MVR 23.88

$2.26 COP 8,229

-31.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 MVR 124

$4.33 COP 15.8K

84.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 MVR 93.5

$5.84 COP 21.2K

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 MVR 133

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-2.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.6

$2.24 COP 8,159

77.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.71 MVR 57.3

$1.08 COP 3,911

243.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 MVR 65.1

$1.53 COP 5,563

175.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 MVR 50.0

$1.37 COP 4,987

136.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MVR 23.45

$1.13 COP 4,109

34.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 19.09

$1.12 COP 4,067

9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 MVR 47.34

$0.85 COP 3,080

260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.68

$0.91 COP 3,305

-45.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 MVR 151

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 MVR 122

$2.33 COP 8,477

239.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MVR 31.00

$1.44 COP 5,223

38.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MVR 29.95

$1.91 COP 6,952

1.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 MVR 154

$8.02 COP 29.2K

24.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 MVR 14.13

$0.94 COP 3,410

-3.19%

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

$32.6K MVR 504.1K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

81.93%

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

$34.0K MVR 526.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

27.06%

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

$108 MVR 1,671

$84.0 COP 305.4K

28.73%

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

$40.96 MVR 633

$9.60 COP 34.9K

326.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.62 MVR 644

$24.16 COP 87.9K

72.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 MVR 1,015

$25.88 COP 94.1K

153.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 MVR 153

$3.92 COP 14.2K

152.30%

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

$165 MVR 2,555

$306 COP 1.1M

-46.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,595 MVR 55.6K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-39.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.10 MVR 682

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-23.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 MVR 880

$31.82 COP 115.7K

78.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MVR 1,402

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-9.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 825

$107 COP 389.7K

-50.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 MVR 19.8K

$487 COP 1.8M

162.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 MVR 12.0K

$368 COP 1.3M

110.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,878 MVR 44.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

248.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 MVR 35.4K

$716 COP 2.6M

220.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,375 MVR 83.1K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

83.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 MVR 7,637

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-64.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MVR 11.0K

$546 COP 2.0M

29.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

13.43

-7.67%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Hulhumale and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 30% 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: $29.00 in Hulhumale vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $221 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hulhumale vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Hulhumale pays 30% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,279 in Hulhumale versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Hulhumale versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $29.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,506 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hulhumale and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.