Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
Learn more

Mardan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Mardan versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Mardan $502
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mardan versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Mardan $788
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Mardan versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Mardan $1,074
Medellin $3,186

Living in Mardan costs roughly 69% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mardan is 63% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 978

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-56.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 PKR 6,495

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-50.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,504

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-42.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

Cappuccino

$2.55 PKR 705

$3.01 COP 9,722

-15.28%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$1.80 COP 5,801

-81.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$1.41 COP 4,554

-83.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.51 COP 4,869

-40.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$2.38 COP 7,667

-67.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.77 COP 5,712

-27.12%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$2.89 COP 9,320

-57.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 811

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-71.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 PKR 878

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-67.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-73.41%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-78.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 203

$1.55 COP 5,005

-52.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$2.18 COP 7,039

-52.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$2.18 COP 7,041

-83.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$1.96 COP 6,328

-86.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.59 COP 5,125

-76.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$1.15 COP 3,694

-75.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$1.24 COP 4,009

-71.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 508

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-53.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$1.17 COP 3,766

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,966

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-86.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$1.27 COP 4,089

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$2.05 COP 6,603

-66.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-81.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.35 COP 4,343

-22.22%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-36.09%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-32.01%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$170 COP 547.0K

-38.93%

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

$6.02 PKR 1,666

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-55.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.99 PKR 4,701

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-39.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.89 PKR 3,566

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-70.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PKR 2,223

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-53.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 PKR 1,353

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-29.23%

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

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

$797 COP 2.6M

-94.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-88.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.98 PKR 7,188

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-69.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 PKR 9,583

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

$135 COP 435.2K

-28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-59.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-88.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$642 COP 2.1M

-86.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 PKR 73.1K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-86.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.3K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-82.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 PKR 239.3K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-79.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 PKR 159.9K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-69.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

10.94

19.56%

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

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$127 25.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 66.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 90.6% $80

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$86 17.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 646% $556

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 16.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 253% $213

Eating Out

Mardan

$77 15.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 119% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$23 4.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 154% $35

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 477% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $134 in Mardan and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Mardan vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $84 vs $297 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

18:55 6:55 PM

10 h behind Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mardan Medellin 14,380 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

Mardan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $753 in Mardan and $2,459 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $134 in Mardan versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $42 in Mardan versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 253% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Mardan versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.