Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Blantyre

For one person, living is cheaper in Blantyre: $602 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Blantyre
Learn more

Blantyre Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Blantyre

🇲🇼 Malawi

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Blantyre

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 Blantyre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $602 in Blantyre.

Medellin $1,625
Blantyre $602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Blantyre.

Medellin $2,412
Blantyre $1,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,489 in Blantyre.

Medellin $3,199
Blantyre $1,489

Living in Medellin is roughly 170% more expensive than in Blantyre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Blantyre is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.90 MWK 6,698

112.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$13.39 MWK 23.0K

250.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.08 MWK 12.2K

30.51%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.79 MWK 4,791

9.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.85 MWK 1,465

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.45 MWK 772

206.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.05 MWK 1,802

208.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.74 MWK 2,987

219.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.06 MWK 1,817

41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.35 MWK 2,318

75.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.03 MWK 3,480

-16.26%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.74 MWK 2,993

70.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$3.65 MWK 6,268

180.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.51 MWK 9,455

76.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$6.62 MWK 11.4K

109.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.27 MWK 3,893

81.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.36 MWK 4,059

-35.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.39 MWK 4,108

-7.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.11 MWK 1,903

104.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.32 MWK 2,263

50.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.35 MWK 2,326

23.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.31 MWK 530

280.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.79 MWK 1,349

56.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.40 MWK 4,121

61.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.63 MWK 23.4K

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.92 MWK 1,578

80.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.64 MWK 2,819

46.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.52 MWK 891

138.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.61 MWK 1,051

109.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.48 MWK 2,544

45.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$3.92 MWK 6,727

113.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.51 MWK 2,588

-10.60%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$34.7K MWK 59.6M

0.09%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$39.2K MWK 67.4M

-11.62%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$26.58 MWK 45.6K

526.98%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$7.89 MWK 13.6K

72.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$59.8 MWK 102.6K

-24.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$15.14 MWK 26.0K

13.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$385 MWK 660.7K

105.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$603 MWK 1.0M

1398.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$43.33 MWK 74.4K

102.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$40.24 MWK 69.1K

44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$48.11 MWK 82.6K

188.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$71.1 MWK 122.0K

39.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$225 MWK 386.5K

356.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$116 MWK 199.7K

432.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$595 MWK 1.0M

216.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$394 MWK 676.6K

155.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$400 MWK 686.0K

325.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$336 MWK 576.4K

97.60%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Blantyre: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Blantyre

$116 19.3% 81.2% $503

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Blantyre

$191 31.6% 36% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Blantyre

$34 * 5.7% 83.5% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Blantyre

$91 15.2% 47.2% $81

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Blantyre

$100 16.6% 41.5% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Blantyre

$10 * 1.7% 89.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Blantyre

$60 * 9.9% 1.2% $0.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $225 in Blantyre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 98% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $13.00 in Blantyre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $191 per month, with Blantyre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇼 Blantyre

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

994,500

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MWK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Malawian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,717 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD). 1 EUR = 1,930 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Blantyre 12,400 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Blantyre

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 Blantyre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Blantyre differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $602 including rent). Blantyre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $225 in Blantyre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $602 in Blantyre – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $602 in Blantyre versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Blantyre but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Blantyre 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.

Expats usually find Blantyre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.