Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matara and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $576 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$576

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $576 per month in Matara vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Matara $576
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $839 per month in Matara vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Matara $839
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,102 per month in Matara vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Matara $1,102
Medellin $3,186

Matara is about 65% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Matara sits 58% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 LKR 1,241

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-53.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.54 LKR 8,159

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-47.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 LKR 2,503

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-20.74%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 810

$3.01 COP 9,485

-18.94%

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

$0.67 LKR 222

$1.80 COP 5,660

-62.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.1

$1.41 COP 4,443

-82.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 LKR 741

$3.18 COP 9,990

-29.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,017

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-46.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 519

$1.51 COP 4,751

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 177

$2.38 COP 7,480

-77.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 253

$1.77 COP 5,573

-57.06%

Eggs

$1.53 LKR 509

$2.89 COP 9,093

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.58 LKR 4,514

$10.19 COP 32.1K

33.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 LKR 1,609

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-50.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,415

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-48.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 LKR 2,230

$3.97 COP 12.5K

69.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.43 LKR 142

$1.55 COP 4,883

-72.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,481

$2.18 COP 6,867

104.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 LKR 302

$2.18 COP 6,870

-58.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 LKR 306

$1.96 COP 6,174

-53.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 LKR 193

$1.59 COP 5,000

-63.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 295

$1.15 COP 3,604

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$1.24 COP 3,911

-62.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 LKR 3,276

$3.96 COP 12.5K

148.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 LKR 4,303

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 LKR 596

$1.66 COP 5,221

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 LKR 997

$2.26 COP 7,103

32.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

$1.17 COP 3,674

-73.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$1.27 COP 3,989

-68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$2.05 COP 6,442

-82.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LKR 317

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-88.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.35 COP 4,237

2.22%

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

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

29.86%

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

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

19.24%

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

$46.17 LKR 15.4K

$170 COP 533.7K

-72.79%

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

$4.22 LKR 1,403

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-68.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 LKR 6,977

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-25.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,530

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-33.43%

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

$38.17 LKR 12.7K

$797 COP 2.5M

-95.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,204 LKR 400.4K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-86.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.04 LKR 5,997

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-78.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.90 LKR 5,618

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-70.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

$135 COP 424.6K

-41.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-57.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$179 LKR 59.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-85.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.1 LKR 30.0K

$642 COP 2.0M

-85.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$105 LKR 34.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-84.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

10.94

16.00%

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

Last update for Matara: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matara

$229 39.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 29.6% $68

Eating Out

Matara

$103 17.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 65.2% $67

Accommodation & Living

Matara

$90 15.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 612% $551

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matara

$71 12.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 196% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Matara

$70 12.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 141% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Matara

$9.2 * 1.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 525% $48

Getting Around

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 2660% $90

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $179 in Matara versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Matara versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $297 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matara

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:38 2:38 AM

16:08 4:08 PM

10 h 30 min behind Matara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matara Medellin 17,040 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Matara
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

Matara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 185%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $864 per month in Matara and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $179 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $576 in Matara and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Matara about 65% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $38 per month in Matara and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matara, where all-in costs run around $576, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Matara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.