Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in Mayari versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,897 in Mayari versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,298 in Mayari versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Mayari is roughly 45% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 CUP 146

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.63 CUP 471

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-39.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 CUP 155

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-12.26%

Cappuccino

$1.33 CUP 31.96

$1.72 COP 5,600

-22.67%

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

$2.14 CUP 51.3

$1.05 COP 3,420

103.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CUP 29.19

$0.77 COP 2,515

58.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 CUP 60.2

$1.69 COP 5,488

48.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 CUP 70.1

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 CUP 69.3

$1.05 COP 3,423

175.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 CUP 18.87

$1.30 COP 4,236

-39.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CUP 61.0

$1.40 COP 4,544

81.43%

Eggs

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$2.16 COP 7,047

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 CUP 141

$4.39 COP 14.3K

34.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 CUP 129

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 CUP 285

$8.64 COP 28.1K

37.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 CUP 117

$2.28 COP 7,426

113.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CUP 28.16

$1.11 COP 3,604

5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 CUP 34.54

$1.53 COP 4,983

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 CUP 35.72

$1.35 COP 4,410

10.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 CUP 45.07

$1.13 COP 3,674

66.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 CUP 69.8

$1.13 COP 3,692

157.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.53

$0.85 COP 2,753

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CUP 27.11

$0.91 COP 2,975

24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 CUP 85.0

$2.34 COP 7,630

51.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 CUP 237

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-20.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 CUP 42.70

$1.20 COP 3,909

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.29

$2.49 COP 8,104

-20.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.69

$0.84 COP 2,728

-76.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.22 CUP 485

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-50.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 CUP 55.6

$1.42 COP 4,623

63.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 CUP 9.26

$1.92 COP 6,235

-79.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.72 CUP 473

$7.66 COP 24.9K

157.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CUP 29.65

$0.99 COP 3,223

25.25%

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

$70.0K CUP 1.7M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

288.04%

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

$79.5K CUP 1.9M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

198.53%

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

$35.37 CUP 849

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-56.23%

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

$40.17 CUP 964

$9.95 COP 32.4K

303.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$251 CUP 6,021

$24.18 COP 78.7K

937.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.34 CUP 968

$25.08 COP 81.7K

60.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 CUP 355

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-22.82%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.43

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-74.37%

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

$117 CUP 2,815

$305 COP 993.5K

-61.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K CUP 419.3K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

188.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CUP 1,327

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-4.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.62 CUP 975

$32.20 COP 104.8K

26.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.47 CUP 1,091

$101 COP 327.9K

-54.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.8 CUP 1,220

$108 COP 350.8K

-52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 CUP 5,034

$477 COP 1.6M

-55.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 CUP 16.3K

$376 COP 1.2M

80.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 CUP 9,253

$845 COP 2.7M

-54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 CUP 16.7K

$730 COP 2.4M

-5.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$403 CUP 9,660

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-87.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$349 CUP 8,368

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-74.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.74 CUP 522

$617 COP 2.0M

-96.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-25.54%

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

Last update for Mayari: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Mayari and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2737% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Mayari vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mayari vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2737% lower in Medellin. 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: $210 in Mayari versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,496 per month in Mayari versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.