Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahe and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahe and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,784 in Mahe versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Mahe versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,106 in Mahe versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Mahe is roughly 73% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mahe is 33% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 SCR 228

$5.92 COP 21.4K

166.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 SCR 980

$32.75 COP 118.2K

107.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 SCR 114

$7.20 COP 26.0K

9.44%

Cappuccino

$4.24 SCR 61.2

$1.70 COP 6,140

149.41%

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

$2.42 SCR 34.88

$1.10 COP 3,966

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SCR 25.48

$0.72 COP 2,605

145.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 SCR 117

$1.67 COP 6,022

385.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 SCR 75.0

$3.10 COP 11.2K

67.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SCR 22.11

$1.06 COP 3,809

44.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 SCR 15.18

$1.25 COP 4,497

-16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 SCR 25.64

$1.39 COP 5,022

28.06%

Eggs

$4.04 SCR 58.3

$2.26 COP 8,168

78.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 SCR 220

$4.33 COP 15.6K

252.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 SCR 114

$5.84 COP 21.1K

35.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 SCR 177

$8.83 COP 31.9K

39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 SCR 29.51

$2.24 COP 8,099

-8.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 SCR 32.41

$1.53 COP 5,522

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 SCR 72.8

$1.37 COP 4,950

267.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 SCR 13.77

$1.13 COP 4,078

-15.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 SCR 14.65

$1.12 COP 4,036

-8.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 SCR 14.77

$0.85 COP 3,057

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.25 SCR 177

$2.33 COP 8,414

425.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SCR 30.20

$1.19 COP 4,309

75.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SCR 30.64

$2.37 COP 8,553

-10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 SCR 11.73

$0.79 COP 2,838

2.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.36 SCR 352

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-40.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.49 SCR 151

$1.44 COP 5,184

628.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 SCR 44.14

$1.91 COP 6,901

60.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 SCR 147

$8.02 COP 28.9K

26.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 SCR 23.26

$0.94 COP 3,385

71.28%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

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

$83.3 SCR 1,202

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-0.75%

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

$20.49 SCR 296

$9.60 COP 34.7K

113.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$162 SCR 2,330

$24.16 COP 87.2K

568.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 SCR 745

$25.88 COP 93.4K

99.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 SCR 89.2

$3.92 COP 14.1K

57.65%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.83 SCR 402

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-51.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.18 SCR 161

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-64.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.96 SCR 634

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-56.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 SCR 802

$107 COP 386.8K

-48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 SCR 12.1K

$487 COP 1.8M

72.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 SCR 12.5K

$368 COP 1.3M

135.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 SCR 24.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

105.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 SCR 15.2K

$716 COP 2.6M

47.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$970 SCR 14.0K

$546 COP 2.0M

77.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Mahe: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Mahe and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahe pays 78% 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: $68.0 in Mahe vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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

Mahe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Mahe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mahe pays 78% 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: $841 in Mahe versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Mahe. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,784 per month in Mahe versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,784 in Mahe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Mahe. 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, Mahe 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 73% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.