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: $1,524 in Male versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,378 in Male versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,232 in Male versus $2,192 in Medellin.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 14% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 MVR 85.0

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-8.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.17 MVR 450

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-11.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 MVR 152

$7.09 COP 25.3K

39.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MVR 68.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MVR 56.0

Cappuccino

$2.86 MVR 44.15

$1.71 COP 6,115

67.25%

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

$1.28 MVR 19.76

$1.10 COP 3,924

16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MVR 3.83

$0.78 COP 2,781

-67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MVR 27.55

$1.09 COP 3,906

64.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MVR 23.96

$1.26 COP 4,508

23.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 MVR 20.89

$1.38 COP 4,922

-2.17%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.76

$2.19 COP 7,827

-17.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MVR 128

$4.40 COP 15.7K

87.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 MVR 97.1

$5.63 COP 20.1K

11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 MVR 141

$8.89 COP 31.8K

2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MVR 63.8

$2.34 COP 8,349

76.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.78 MVR 58.3

$1.06 COP 3,777

256.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 MVR 66.8

$1.50 COP 5,374

188.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 MVR 49.24

$1.38 COP 4,924

131.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MVR 22.98

$1.15 COP 4,111

29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 MVR 18.91

$1.16 COP 4,155

6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 MVR 47.22

$0.89 COP 3,182

243.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MVR 7.83

$0.84 COP 2,997

-39.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.30 MVR 190

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MVR 41.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.51 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 MVR 128

$2.28 COP 8,145

265.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.18

$0.86 COP 3,056

-23.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 MVR 444

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.87

$1.47 COP 5,264

31.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MVR 29.43

$1.96 COP 7,009

-2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 MVR 154

$7.74 COP 27.6K

28.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 MVR 14.17

$0.95 COP 3,409

-3.16%

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

$32.2K MVR 497.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

77.85%

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

$34.6K MVR 534.0K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

30.76%

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

$105 MVR 1,613

$82.3 COP 293.7K

27.15%

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

$41.62 MVR 642

$9.50 COP 33.9K

338.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 MVR 1,182

$24.23 COP 86.5K

216.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 MVR 1,242

$25.89 COP 92.4K

211.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.50 MVR 671

$19.00 COP 67.9K

128.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 MVR 151

$3.93 COP 14.0K

149.62%

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

$163 MVR 2,521

$309 COP 1.1M

-47.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,626 MVR 55.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-39.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.36 MVR 700

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 MVR 860

$32.35 COP 115.5K

72.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MVR 1,383

$103 COP 366.4K

-12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.4 MVR 839

$108 COP 387.2K

-49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MVR 15.0K

$476 COP 1.7M

103.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 MVR 10.8K

$379 COP 1.4M

84.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 MVR 26.2K

$838 COP 3.0M

102.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 MVR 22.0K

$724 COP 2.6M

97.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 MVR 35.5K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-17.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 MVR 29.4K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

57.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 MVR 13.2K

$512 COP 1.8M

67.48%

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 Male: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Male and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 67% 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: $29.00 in Male vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $188, 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

Male vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Male pays 67% 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: $970 in Male versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,524 per month in Male versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 44% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,524 in Male, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Male. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Male, 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.