Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ambatolampy Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ambatolampy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $482 in Ambatolampy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $712 in Ambatolampy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $943 in Ambatolampy.

Living in Medellin is roughly 249% more expensive than in Ambatolampy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ambatolampy is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$2.71 MGA 11.8K

195.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$10.57 MGA 46.1K

352.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.77 MGA 25.2K

71.40%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.73 MGA 7,526

80.92%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.79 MGA 3,429

141.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.47 MGA 2,030

221.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.06 MGA 4,627

194.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.38 MGA 10.4K

141.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.90 MGA 3,935

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.03 MGA 4,483

141.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$0.72 MGA 3,163

145.83%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.07 MGA 9,024

43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.75 MGA 38.2K

15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.71 MGA 20.5K

114.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$4.93 MGA 21.5K

190.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.14 MGA 4,957

263.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.61 MGA 2,649

163.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.04 MGA 4,536

116.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.90 MGA 3,938

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.58 MGA 2,512

251.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.95 MGA 4,154

62.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.33 MGA 1,428

254.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.70 MGA 3,038

87.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$1.59 MGA 6,943

145.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$5.10 MGA 22.2K

174.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.03 MGA 4,485

68.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.84 MGA 8,038

55.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.45 MGA 15.0K

-62.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.14 MGA 9,322

2.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$4.69 MGA 20.5K

85.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.90 MGA 3,936

52.22%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$12.4K MGA 54.3M

123.83%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$26.0K MGA 113.4M

37.68%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$75.7 MGA 330.1K

134.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$17.45 MGA 76.1K

-20.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$59.0 MGA 257.4K

-49.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.88 MGA 25.7K

13.10%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$25.60 MGA 111.7K

3075.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$15.2K MGA 66.1M

-39.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$30.25 MGA 132.0K

195.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$28.45 MGA 124.1K

107.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$78.8 MGA 343.9K

75.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$71.0 MGA 309.8K

43.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

15.75

-30.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ambatolampy: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Ambatolampy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $145 per month, with Ambatolampy 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

Medellin vs Ambatolampy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 249% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $723 in Ambatolampy 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.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $25.60 in Ambatolampy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $482 in Ambatolampy versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambatolampy delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $482 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambatolampy hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ambatolampy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.