Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Blantyre Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Blantyre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $603 in Blantyre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,033 in Blantyre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,463 in Blantyre.

Living in Medellin is roughly 185% more expensive than in Blantyre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Blantyre is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$4.08 MWK 6,999

96.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$13.16 MWK 22.6K

266.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$6.93 MWK 11.9K

40.98%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.76 MWK 4,731

5.43%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.84 MWK 1,436

130.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.48 MWK 827

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.05 MWK 1,807

194.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$1.80 MWK 3,092

218.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.02 MWK 1,747

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.32 MWK 2,269

81.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.01 MWK 3,458

-15.42%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.66 MWK 2,848

72.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$3.62 MWK 6,218

174.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.67 MWK 9,744

90.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$6.42 MWK 11.0K

129.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.19 MWK 3,755

86.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.37 MWK 4,065

-33.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.41 MWK 4,138

-11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.06 MWK 1,826

108.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.30 MWK 2,231

57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.30 MWK 2,232

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.33 MWK 572

260.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.82 MWK 1,411

41.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.33 MWK 3,996

67.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$13.73 MWK 23.6K

5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.88 MWK 1,519

79.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.57 MWK 2,703

80.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.51 MWK 876

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.58 MWK 991

120.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.49 MWK 2,552

40.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$3.88 MWK 6,663

122.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.56 MWK 2,683

-16.67%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$34.8K MWK 59.7M

-20.46%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$38.6K MWK 66.3M

-8.05%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$26.69 MWK 45.8K

559.69%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$8.10 MWK 13.9K

65.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$59.2 MWK 101.7K

-24.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$15.09 MWK 25.9K

13.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$390 MWK 670.1K

103.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$591 MWK 1.0M

1425.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$43.09 MWK 74.0K

98.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$39.41 MWK 67.7K

48.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$49.53 MWK 85.0K

175.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$69.1 MWK 118.6K

49.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$232 MWK 398.3K

356.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$116 MWK 199.2K

485.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$609 MWK 1.0M

230.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$387 MWK 664.0K

202.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$393 MWK 675.1K

332.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$333 MWK 571.7K

99.80%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Blantyre: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $232 in Blantyre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 100% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $13.00 in Blantyre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $189 per month, with Blantyre 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 Blantyre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Blantyre differ by about 185% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $603 including rent). Blantyre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $232 in Blantyre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $603 in Blantyre – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $603 in Blantyre versus $1,716 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 185% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.