Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,500 in Male versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Male versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Male versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Male costs roughly 13% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Male 9% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MVR 594

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 MVR 153

$9.77 COP 30.7K

1.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MVR 74.3

Cappuccino

$3.55 MVR 54.8

$2.91 COP 9,149

21.99%

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

$1.59 MVR 24.57

$1.94 COP 6,110

-18.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.84

$1.52 COP 4,783

-79.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 MVR 32.20

$1.36 COP 4,287

53.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MVR 25.81

$2.39 COP 7,505

-30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MVR 19.35

$1.70 COP 5,346

-25.88%

Eggs

$1.87 MVR 28.82

$2.87 COP 9,021

-34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MVR 161

$9.94 COP 31.2K

5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 MVR 96.3

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-42.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MVR 146

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-35.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 MVR 60.4

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-4.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 MVR 48.29

$1.57 COP 4,940

99.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 MVR 63.1

$2.13 COP 6,682

92.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MVR 40.96

$2.21 COP 6,959

20.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MVR 31.32

$2.05 COP 6,435

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MVR 28.66

$1.50 COP 4,728

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 MVR 32.98

$1.19 COP 3,740

79.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MVR 9.63

$1.16 COP 3,640

-46.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.57 MVR 194

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 MVR 30.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 MVR 229

$3.90 COP 12.2K

280.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$1.17 COP 3,672

-43.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.42 MVR 469

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-60.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 MVR 29.69

$1.28 COP 4,038

50.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$2.09 COP 6,576

-4.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 MVR 154

$8.62 COP 27.1K

15.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 MVR 14.89

$1.30 COP 4,080

-25.38%

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

$31.7K MVR 489.2K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

14.70%

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

$28.8K MVR 444.6K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-18.80%

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

$120 MVR 1,843

$176 COP 553.4K

-32.13%

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

$30.58 MVR 472

$13.37 COP 42.0K

128.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 MVR 1,101

$29.89 COP 94.0K

138.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 MVR 1,082

$44.76 COP 140.7K

56.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 MVR 515

$17.06 COP 53.6K

95.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 MVR 147

$6.20 COP 19.5K

54.03%

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

$187 MVR 2,882

$793 COP 2.5M

-76.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,960 MVR 45.6K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-67.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 MVR 606

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-54.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.68 MVR 751

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-16.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 MVR 1,356

$136 COP 428.4K

-35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 MVR 796

$103 COP 324.1K

-49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 MVR 14.7K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 MVR 10.7K

$680 COP 2.1M

2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 MVR 31.8K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 MVR 23.9K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

32.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,266 MVR 34.9K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-44.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,376 MVR 21.2K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-19.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 MVR 12.5K

$665 COP 2.1M

22.21%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Male and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 22% 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $303 per month, with Male 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

Male vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Male is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $952 in Male versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,500 per month in Male versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 156% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,500 in Male versus $1,716 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 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.