Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,300

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

$1.75 COP 5,599

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,229

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,993

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,506

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,796

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,204

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,012

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.8K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.0K

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,730

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,785

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,196

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,107

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,173

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,667

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,031

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,096

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,206

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,740

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,066

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,548

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,056

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

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

$34.4K COP 109.9M

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

$162 COP 518.2K

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

$13.12 COP 41.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

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

$764 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 271.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

12:19 12:19 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,580 COP (10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Arugam Bay 17,120 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Arugam Bay. 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.