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: $1,521 in Hulhumale versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Hulhumale versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,921 in Hulhumale versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Hulhumale is roughly 50% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hulhumale is 13% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 MVR 83.0

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-9.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 MVR 459

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-10.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 MVR 148

$7.23 COP 25.2K

32.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MVR 68.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MVR 58.4

Cappuccino

$2.94 MVR 45.30

$1.63 COP 5,687

80.37%

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

$1.27 MVR 19.58

$1.09 COP 3,821

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.19

$0.73 COP 2,548

-63.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MVR 27.90

$1.05 COP 3,662

72.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 MVR 24.15

$1.29 COP 4,515

21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.31 MVR 4.71

$1.32 COP 4,617

-76.52%

Eggs

$1.53 MVR 23.60

$2.27 COP 7,927

-32.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MVR 127

$4.35 COP 15.2K

88.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 MVR 94.2

$5.88 COP 20.5K

3.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 MVR 133

$8.61 COP 30.0K

0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MVR 61.8

$2.25 COP 7,844

78.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 MVR 57.5

$1.07 COP 3,733

248.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 MVR 67.7

$1.52 COP 5,322

188.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 MVR 49.66

$1.42 COP 4,964

126.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$1.17 COP 4,084

32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.96

$1.17 COP 4,077

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$0.89 COP 3,096

251.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MVR 7.68

$0.90 COP 3,146

-44.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.00 MVR 154

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 MVR 129

$2.25 COP 7,837

270.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 MVR 30.56

$1.41 COP 4,912

40.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 MVR 29.68

$1.90 COP 6,634

1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 MVR 147

$7.75 COP 27.0K

22.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.84

$1.01 COP 3,509

-4.95%

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

$32.6K MVR 502.3K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

85.31%

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

$34.4K MVR 530.5K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

29.84%

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

$107 MVR 1,650

$83.7 COP 292.1K

27.83%

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

$42.13 MVR 650

$9.45 COP 33.0K

345.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.52 MVR 656

$24.11 COP 84.1K

76.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MVR 1,004

$25.31 COP 88.3K

157.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 MVR 147

$4.10 COP 14.3K

132.20%

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

$160 MVR 2,460

$312 COP 1.1M

-48.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,594 MVR 55.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-40.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 MVR 696

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-22.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 MVR 868

$32.56 COP 113.6K

72.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 MVR 1,368

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 MVR 823

$109 COP 378.8K

-50.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 MVR 20.0K

$482 COP 1.7M

168.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MVR 11.8K

$379 COP 1.3M

102.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,918 MVR 45.0K

$837 COP 2.9M

248.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

$723 COP 2.5M

215.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,384 MVR 83.0K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

89.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 MVR 7,620

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-59.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 MVR 10.9K

$541 COP 1.9M

31.24%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,294 in Hulhumale and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 31% 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: $30.00 in Hulhumale vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 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 50% 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 31% 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: $1,294 in Hulhumale versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Hulhumale versus $312 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 $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,521 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 $1,017 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 50% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.