Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Antsirabe

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsirabe: $450 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Antsirabe
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Antsirabe Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Antsirabe

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Antsirabe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Antsirabe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $450 in Antsirabe.

Medellin $1,639
Antsirabe $450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $677 in Antsirabe.

Medellin $2,413
Antsirabe $677

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $903 in Antsirabe.

Medellin $3,186
Antsirabe $903

Living in Medellin is roughly 264% more expensive than in Antsirabe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Antsirabe is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$1.13 MGA 5,165

615.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$15.30 MGA 70.2K

207.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.59 MGA 25.7K

69.95%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.36 MGA 6,217

121.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.74 MGA 3,406

143.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.44 MGA 2,020

220.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$0.97 MGA 4,430

227.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.15 MGA 9,884

167.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.97 MGA 4,445

55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.01 MGA 4,652

135.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.71 MGA 3,241

149.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.03 MGA 9,327

42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.29 MGA 38.0K

22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.24 MGA 19.4K

132.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$4.65 MGA 21.3K

200.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.04 MGA 4,770

281.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.53 MGA 2,415

192.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.98 MGA 4,503

122.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.86 MGA 3,933

153.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.55 MGA 2,543

256.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.97 MGA 4,469

63.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.31 MGA 1,443

270.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.46 MGA 2,112

169.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.58 MGA 7,238

150.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$5.08 MGA 23.3K

169.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.97 MGA 4,433

71.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.77 MGA 8,108

27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.26 MGA 14.9K

-61.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.95 MGA 8,941

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$4.53 MGA 20.8K

88.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.15 MGA 5,283

17.39%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$11.6K MGA 53.0M

194.93%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$25.2K MGA 115.7M

37.51%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$73.7 MGA 338.2K

130.10%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$16.33 MGA 74.9K

-17.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$54.8 MGA 251.6K

-48.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.34 MGA 24.5K

29.40%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$24.61 MGA 112.9K

3137.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$14.7K MGA 67.5M

-38.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$28.16 MGA 129.2K

200.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$26.58 MGA 121.9K

118.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$75.8 MGA 347.7K

78.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$68.3 MGA 313.4K

43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

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)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Antsirabe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Antsirabe

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Antsirabe

$136 30.3% 54.1% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Antsirabe

$145 32.2% 31.4% $66

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Antsirabe

$56 12.4% 67% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Antsirabe

$89 19.9% 47% $79

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Antsirabe

$13 * 2.9% 86.1% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Antsirabe

$11 * 2.4% 81.4% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $15 in Antsirabe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $136 per month, with Antsirabe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇬 Antsirabe

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

246,354

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,107 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Antsirabe 13,650 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Antsirabe

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

Medellin vs Antsirabe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antsirabe is about 73% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $675 in Antsirabe 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $450 in Antsirabe – Antsirabe is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $450 in Antsirabe versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antsirabe but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Antsirabe 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.