Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $424 in Mardan versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $638 in Mardan versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $851 in Mardan versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Mardan costs roughly 58% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mardan 68% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 PKR 571

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-65.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.31 PKR 3,970

$32.96 COP 103.8K

-56.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 PKR 1,487

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-27.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$2.00 PKR 556

$1.65 COP 5,207

21.21%

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

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$1.10 COP 3,468

-71.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.7

$0.78 COP 2,458

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 PKR 214

$1.10 COP 3,474

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 171

$1.26 COP 3,962

-50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 233

$1.38 COP 4,349

-39.13%

Eggs

$1.19 PKR 331

$2.18 COP 6,858

-45.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 PKR 1,756

$4.49 COP 14.1K

40.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.31 PKR 641

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-60.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.26 PKR 904

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-63.66%

Apples (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 191

$2.32 COP 7,308

-70.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$1.06 COP 3,352

-48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 PKR 268

$1.52 COP 4,774

-36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 92.6

$1.36 COP 4,270

-75.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 PKR 66.6

$1.13 COP 3,552

-78.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 102

$1.17 COP 3,689

-68.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 91.8

$0.90 COP 2,838

-63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.13 PKR 35.05

$0.90 COP 2,823

-85.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 PKR 398

$2.23 COP 7,034

-35.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 49.54

$0.85 COP 2,687

-78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.89 PKR 1,911

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-83.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 PKR 101

$1.42 COP 4,459

-74.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$1.95 COP 6,141

-82.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 PKR 502

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-77.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 PKR 248

$0.99 COP 3,118

-10.10%

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

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

20.79%

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

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-1.76%

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

$112 PKR 31.1K

$83.0 COP 261.4K

35.13%

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

$5.55 PKR 1,540

$9.70 COP 30.5K

-42.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.45 PKR 5,120

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-21.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.30 PKR 3,414

$25.26 COP 79.5K

-51.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 PKR 1,664

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-68.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,181

$3.95 COP 12.4K

7.85%

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

$17.48 PKR 4,851

$316 COP 994.2K

-94.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-81.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.33 PKR 5,920

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-64.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.63 PKR 7,669

$31.82 COP 100.2K

-13.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

$102 COP 320.1K

-12.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.39 PKR 4,827

$107 COP 338.3K

-83.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

$475 COP 1.5M

-84.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

$374 COP 1.2M

-86.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.3K

$849 COP 2.7M

-80.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 PKR 29.1K

$719 COP 2.3M

-85.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 PKR 240.6K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-73.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$511 PKR 141.9K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-64.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

13.43

50.41%

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

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75.5 in Mardan and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Mardan vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $79.0 vs $193 per month, with Mardan 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

Mardan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $636 in Mardan and $1,504 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: $75.5 in Mardan versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $17.48 in Mardan versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,500 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.

For families, Mardan 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.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.