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: $1,501 in Male versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Male versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Male versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Male is roughly 46% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Male is 12% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-12.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-10.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

$7.34 COP 23.9K

29.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

$1.72 COP 5,599

72.09%

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

$1.05 COP 3,420

27.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

$0.77 COP 2,515

-64.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$1.05 COP 3,423

77.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$1.30 COP 4,236

24.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$1.40 COP 4,544

-6.43%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$2.16 COP 7,046

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$4.39 COP 14.3K

87.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$5.88 COP 19.1K

7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$8.64 COP 28.1K

4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$2.28 COP 7,425

75.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$1.11 COP 3,603

238.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$1.53 COP 4,982

177.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$1.35 COP 4,410

142.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$1.13 COP 3,674

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$1.13 COP 3,692

7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$0.85 COP 2,753

263.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$0.91 COP 2,975

-41.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$2.34 COP 7,629

247.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$0.84 COP 2,727

-26.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-27.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$1.42 COP 4,623

36.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$1.92 COP 6,235

0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$7.66 COP 24.9K

27.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$0.99 COP 3,223

-3.03%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

76.95%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

30.50%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$80.8 COP 263.1K

29.35%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

$9.95 COP 32.4K

315.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$24.18 COP 78.7K

213.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$25.08 COP 81.6K

226.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$19.15 COP 62.3K

130.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$3.98 COP 13.0K

138.19%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$305 COP 993.4K

-46.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-41.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-22.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$32.20 COP 104.8K

74.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$101 COP 327.9K

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$108 COP 350.8K

-50.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$477 COP 1.6M

103.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$376 COP 1.2M

85.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$845 COP 2.7M

97.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$730 COP 2.4M

97.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-29.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

37.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$617 COP 2.0M

40.39%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Male and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Male pays 40% 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 $233 vs $193, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $972 in Male versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,501 per month in Male versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 39% less than in Male. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,501 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 46% less than in Male. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.