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: $1,447 in Hulhumale versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in Hulhumale versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,704 in Hulhumale versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Hulhumale costs roughly 14% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hulhumale 6% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-23.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.91 MVR 600

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-18.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 MVR 146

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-4.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MVR 76.1

Cappuccino

$3.64 MVR 56.1

$3.13 COP 9,767

16.29%

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

$1.61 MVR 24.85

$1.91 COP 5,954

-15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MVR 4.40

$1.51 COP 4,712

-80.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MVR 25.05

$1.44 COP 4,509

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 MVR 25.61

$2.49 COP 7,759

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.33 MVR 5.15

$1.77 COP 5,535

-81.36%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.76

$2.96 COP 9,235

-39.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.28 MVR 50.5

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-67.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 MVR 91.6

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-41.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 MVR 148

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.20

$1.61 COP 5,019

94.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 MVR 43.72

$2.25 COP 7,007

25.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 MVR 41.25

$2.25 COP 7,028

19.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MVR 19.78

$2.04 COP 6,375

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MVR 17.89

$1.54 COP 4,790

-24.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 MVR 32.36

$1.17 COP 3,651

79.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MVR 8.90

$1.31 COP 4,077

-55.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 MVR 31.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 MVR 199

$3.90 COP 12.2K

231.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$1.31 COP 4,084

47.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.46

$2.19 COP 6,825

-12.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.85 MVR 152

$8.71 COP 27.2K

13.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.92

$1.37 COP 4,260

-29.20%

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

$32.1K MVR 495.4K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

15.41%

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

$29.5K MVR 454.5K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-17.60%

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

$105 MVR 1,620

$177 COP 553.2K

-40.74%

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

$29.86 MVR 460

$13.88 COP 43.3K

115.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 MVR 1,106

$29.72 COP 92.8K

141.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 MVR 146

$6.65 COP 20.7K

42.41%

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

$183 MVR 2,824

$813 COP 2.5M

-77.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,060 MVR 47.2K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-66.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.54 MVR 610

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-55.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.94 MVR 755

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$138 COP 431.2K

-36.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 MVR 815

$102 COP 318.7K

-48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 MVR 17.6K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 MVR 12.1K

$663 COP 2.1M

18.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,306 MVR 35.6K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

22.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 MVR 35.6K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

124.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,464 MVR 84.3K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

30.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$503 MVR 7,755

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-69.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$706 MVR 10.9K

$678 COP 2.1M

4.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

27.97%

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

Last update for Hulhumale: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Hulhumale and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Hulhumale vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $305 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

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

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hulhumale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Hulhumale, 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: $1,142 in Hulhumale versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $183 in Hulhumale versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hulhumale – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Hulhumale versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hulhumale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hulhumale delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,447 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.