Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $538 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Mahajanga $538
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $792 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Mahajanga $792
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,045 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,045
Medellin $3,186

Mahajanga is about 67% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mahajanga sits 60% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,238

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-75.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.0K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-62.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,927

$3.01 COP 9,734

-78.74%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,108

$1.80 COP 5,809

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,850

$1.41 COP 4,560

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,431

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-69.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,197

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-72.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,128

$1.51 COP 4,875

-11.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,726

$2.38 COP 7,677

-65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,740

$1.77 COP 5,719

-66.10%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,446

$2.89 COP 9,332

-28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-35.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-75.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,898

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-73.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,866

$1.55 COP 5,011

-59.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,110

$2.18 COP 7,047

-68.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,134

$2.18 COP 7,050

-68.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,366

$1.96 COP 6,336

-73.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,463

$1.59 COP 5,131

-66.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,450

$1.15 COP 3,698

-72.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,598

$1.24 COP 4,014

-54.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.5K

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-35.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,462

$1.66 COP 5,359

-54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,128

$2.26 COP 7,290

-60.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,104

$1.17 COP 3,770

-79.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MGA 6,110

$1.35 COP 4,348

-1.48%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$43.81 MGA 200.5K

$170 COP 547.7K

-74.18%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-51.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.1K

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-22.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.0K

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-59.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 MGA 1.5M

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-73.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$642 COP 2.1M

-58.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MGA 3.0M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-56.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $325 in Mahajanga versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mahajanga versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $297 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

13:23 1:23 PM

8 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Medellin 13,610 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
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

Mahajanga vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 205% more than Mahajanga, 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 $808 per month in Mahajanga and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $538 in Mahajanga and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Mahajanga about 67% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Mahajanga 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 $538 in Mahajanga to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.