Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataram and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataram: $605 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Mataram
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Mataram Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mataram

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$605

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $605 in Mataram versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Mataram $605
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Mataram versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Mataram $977
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,348 in Mataram versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Mataram $1,348
Medellin $3,186

Living in Mataram costs roughly 63% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mataram is 56% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.00 Rp 17.9K

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-87.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.82 Rp 158.9K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-81.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.24 Rp 58.4K

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-65.89%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$3.01 COP 9,485

-49.17%

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

$0.46 Rp 8,301

$1.80 COP 5,660

-74.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 Rp 5,361

$1.41 COP 4,443

-78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 Rp 48.3K

$3.18 COP 9,990

-15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 Rp 60.6K

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-41.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$1.51 COP 4,751

-9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

$2.38 COP 7,480

-38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.77 COP 5,573

-52.54%

Eggs

$1.39 Rp 25.1K

$2.89 COP 9,093

-51.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 Rp 145.5K

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-71.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 134.6K

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-46.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 37.1K

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-48.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.55 COP 4,883

-23.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

$2.18 COP 6,867

-29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$2.18 COP 6,870

-43.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

$1.96 COP 6,174

-35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 Rp 39.2K

$1.59 COP 5,000

36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.15 COP 3,604

-31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,069

$1.24 COP 3,911

-68.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 Rp 47.0K

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-34.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.31 Rp 384.1K

$13.68 COP 43.0K

55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.66 COP 5,222

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 56.3K

$2.26 COP 7,104

38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,789

$1.17 COP 3,674

-82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.53 Rp 207.9K

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-85.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,850

$1.27 COP 3,989

-61.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,591

$2.05 COP 6,442

-81.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 Rp 50.4K

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-67.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

$1.35 COP 4,237

-57.78%

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

$22.9K Rp 413.2M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-32.72%

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

$29.7K Rp 535.9M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-14.25%

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

$57.9 Rp 1.0M

$170 COP 533.7K

-65.87%

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

$3.75 Rp 67.6K

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-72.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 Rp 333.8K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-34.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.47 Rp 332.8K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-57.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 Rp 133.9K

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-56.78%

Cinema Ticket

$2.73 Rp 49.2K

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-60.49%

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

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$797 COP 2.5M

-87.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,614 Rp 155.3M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.36 Rp 727.6K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-52.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.06 Rp 505.7K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-51.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 Rp 1.3M

$135 COP 424.6K

-44.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 Rp 1.3M

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 Rp 4.1M

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 Rp 2.3M

$642 COP 2.0M

-79.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 Rp 9.3M

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-74.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 Rp 6.7M

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-63.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,170 Rp 21.1M

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-71.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$752 Rp 13.6M

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-60.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$217 Rp 3.9M

$657 COP 2.1M

-67.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

10.94

-13.53%

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

Last update for Mataram: 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

Mataram

$202 33.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 47.1% $95

Accommodation & Living

Mataram

$130 21.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 395% $512

Clothing & Footwear

Mataram

$96 15.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 76.1% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mataram

$80 13.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 164% $131

Eating Out

Mataram

$59 9.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 187% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Mataram

$24 4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 140% $34

Getting Around

Mataram

$15 2.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 537% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Mataram and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $9 in Mataram vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $297 per month, with Mataram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Mataram

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

13 h behind Mataram

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

402,843

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mataram Medellin 18,700 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Mataram
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

Mataram vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mataram and Medellin differ by about 171% in total monthly costs ($605 vs $1,639 including rent). Mataram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Mataram. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $228 in Mataram versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataram – a meal for two runs $9 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $605 in Mataram versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mataram but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mataram 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 Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.