Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayari: $1,527 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Mayari
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Mayari Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mayari

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,527

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,527 in Mayari versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Mayari $1,527
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Mayari versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Mayari $2,445
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,363 in Mayari versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Mayari $3,363
Medellin $3,199

Living in Mayari costs roughly 6% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mayari 13% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.98 CUP 144

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-27.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.04 CUP 481

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-57.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 CUP 158

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-28.57%

Cappuccino

$1.32 CUP 31.60

$3.05 COP 9,676

-56.72%

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

$2.22 CUP 53.2

$1.80 COP 5,707

23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.44

$1.38 COP 4,382

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 CUP 58.9

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 CUP 71.4

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-46.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 CUP 71.9

$1.50 COP 4,760

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 CUP 18.86

$2.37 COP 7,508

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CUP 61.1

$1.70 COP 5,377

50.00%

Eggs

$3.20 CUP 76.9

$2.96 COP 9,379

8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 CUP 144

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-41.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 CUP 128

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-45.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 CUP 289

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-13.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 CUP 122

$4.13 COP 13.1K

23.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CUP 29.42

$1.53 COP 4,839

-19.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 CUP 33.01

$2.22 COP 7,052

-37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 CUP 33.88

$2.27 COP 7,194

-37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CUP 44.92

$1.99 COP 6,311

-6.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 CUP 67.3

$1.67 COP 5,285

67.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 CUP 24.61

$1.18 COP 3,742

-12.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.94

$1.24 COP 3,919

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 CUP 85.7

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-7.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 CUP 238

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-28.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CUP 42.98

$1.66 COP 5,256

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.31

$2.40 COP 7,615

-17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 CUP 5.24

$1.24 COP 3,944

-82.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.77 CUP 474

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-74.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 CUP 56.2

$1.28 COP 4,044

82.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 CUP 10.01

$2.15 COP 6,803

-80.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.11 CUP 483

$8.37 COP 26.5K

140.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CUP 29.39

$1.35 COP 4,288

-9.63%

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

$69.2K CUP 1.7M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

98.97%

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

$78.6K CUP 1.9M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

126.54%

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

$35.41 CUP 850

$167 COP 528.4K

-78.75%

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

$39.39 CUP 945

$13.62 COP 43.2K

189.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$253 CUP 6,061

$29.12 COP 92.3K

767.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.73 CUP 954

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-11.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 CUP 364

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-11.58%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.67

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-85.80%

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

$118 CUP 2,844

$790 COP 2.5M

-85.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K CUP 420.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

93.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CUP 1,301

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-38.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.80 CUP 979

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-29.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.94 CUP 1,079

$139 COP 440.7K

-67.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.95 CUP 1,199

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 CUP 5,157

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-79.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 CUP 16.4K

$620 COP 2.0M

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 CUP 9,347

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-79.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CUP 42.1K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

73.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$400 CUP 9,611

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-89.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$348 CUP 8,342

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-79.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.44 CUP 515

$663 COP 2.1M

-96.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.59%

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

Last update for Mayari: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mayari

$683 44.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 9.4% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mayari

$327 21.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 36% $118

Groceries & Markets

Mayari

$248 16.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 19.9% $50

Eating Out

Mayari

$115 7.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 48% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Mayari

$85 5.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 102% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Mayari

$42 2.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 41.6% $17

Getting Around

Mayari

$25 1.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 280% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Mayari and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2994% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Mayari vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $298 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Mayari

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

1 h behind Mayari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,259

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mayari Medellin 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mayari
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mayari wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mayari the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2994% 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: $215 in Mayari versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mayari – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,527 per month in Mayari versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,527 in Mayari versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mayari but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mayari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mayari delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,527 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mayari hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mayari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.