Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Anuradhapura Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Anuradhapura

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $498 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $830 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,162 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

Medellin costs about 245% more than Anuradhapura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Anuradhapura is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$4.45 LKR 1,460

80.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$24.30 LKR 7,973

98.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.71 LKR 2,530

26.72%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.41 LKR 790

20.75%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.75 LKR 244

158.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.25 LKR 81.1

508.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.28 LKR 748

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.97 LKR 975

93.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.68 LKR 551

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.57 LKR 188

319.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.80 LKR 263

112.50%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.63 LKR 535

76.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$13.09 LKR 4,295

-24.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.98 LKR 1,634

116.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$7.29 LKR 2,391

102.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$6.93 LKR 2,272

-40.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.88 LKR 287

78.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$4.26 LKR 1,396

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.25 LKR 410

76.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.01 LKR 331

102.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.80 LKR 263

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.90 LKR 294

32.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.45 LKR 147

157.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$10.54 LKR 3,458

-63.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$13.82 LKR 4,534

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.92 LKR 629

-17.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.77 LKR 909

2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.42 LKR 137

204.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.35 LKR 114

497.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$0.89 LKR 293

868.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.34 LKR 439

-2.99%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$30.5K LKR 10.0M

-9.22%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$42.7K LKR 14.0M

-16.80%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$53.2 LKR 17.4K

231.27%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$4.28 LKR 1,405

212.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$20.72 LKR 6,796

44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$4.49 LKR 1,473

38.08%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$38.75 LKR 12.7K

1947.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,201 LKR 394.1K

650.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$20.20 LKR 6,627

323.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$16.92 LKR 5,553

245.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$79.5 LKR 26.1K

71.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$43.16 LKR 14.2K

138.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.69

-13.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $238 – making Anuradhapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,716 in Medellin, $498 in Anuradhapura – roughly 245% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $747 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $24.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $498, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Anuradhapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $498 in Anuradhapura to $1,716 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Anuradhapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.