Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Male: $1,530 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,530

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,530 in Male versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Male $1,530
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,451 in Male versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Male $2,451
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,373 in Male versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Male $3,373
Medellin $3,190

Living in Male costs roughly 5% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 13% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.7

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MVR 602

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-15.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 MVR 152

$9.50 COP 30.1K

3.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.80 MVR 74.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$3.51 MVR 54.1

$3.11 COP 9,866

12.86%

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

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$1.83 COP 5,800

-8.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

$1.38 COP 4,360

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MVR 30.68

$1.45 COP 4,600

37.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 MVR 26.08

$2.36 COP 7,496

-28.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MVR 19.33

$1.68 COP 5,328

-25.60%

Eggs

$1.88 MVR 29.07

$2.86 COP 9,077

-34.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 MVR 164

$10.19 COP 32.3K

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-35.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MVR 147

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-31.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 MVR 45.98

$1.50 COP 4,742

98.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 MVR 62.1

$2.17 COP 6,891

85.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MVR 42.16

$2.31 COP 7,310

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MVR 32.01

$1.93 COP 6,113

7.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MVR 28.77

$1.64 COP 5,196

14.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 MVR 32.73

$1.13 COP 3,571

87.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MVR 9.09

$1.25 COP 3,954

-52.80%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.47 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.18 MVR 234

$3.99 COP 12.6K

280.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.26

$1.21 COP 3,827

-44.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.32 MVR 467

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-60.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$1.32 COP 4,179

50.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MVR 30.55

$2.14 COP 6,774

-7.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 MVR 157

$8.47 COP 26.8K

20.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.19

$1.30 COP 4,114

-24.62%

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

$32.1K MVR 495.0K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

14.70%

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

$29.2K MVR 451.0K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-17.41%

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

$119 MVR 1,829

$172 COP 545.6K

-31.08%

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

$30.12 MVR 465

$13.37 COP 42.4K

125.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 MVR 1,140

$28.73 COP 91.1K

157.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 MVR 1,100

$45.24 COP 143.5K

57.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 MVR 519

$17.04 COP 54.0K

97.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 MVR 150

$6.28 COP 19.9K

55.41%

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

$181 MVR 2,797

$770 COP 2.4M

-76.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,056 MVR 47.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-66.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.52 MVR 609

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-54.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 MVR 763

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-13.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 MVR 1,323

$137 COP 432.9K

-37.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 MVR 812

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MVR 14.5K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MVR 10.9K

$616 COP 2.0M

15.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 MVR 31.0K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MVR 24.2K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

53.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 MVR 34.1K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-45.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 MVR 21.4K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-17.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 MVR 13.0K

$652 COP 2.1M

29.10%

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 Male: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Male

$709 46.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 13.2% $94

Groceries & Markets

Male

$234 15.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 26% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$223 14.6%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 3.8% $8.5

Eating Out

Male

$126 8.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 33.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$102 6.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 66.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$91 5.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 36.4% $33

Getting Around

Male

$45 2.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 108% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Male and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 29% 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 Male vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $295 per month, with Male cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

06:36 6:36 AM

10 h behind Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.34 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Male Medellin 16,390 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Male
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

Male vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Male is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Male, 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: $938 in Male versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,530 per month in Male versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 152% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,530 in Male versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Male the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Male is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Male 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.