Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Colombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Colombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Colombo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.07 LKR 1,366

51.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$25.28 LKR 8,494

28.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.71 LKR 909

-36.53%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.69 LKR 232

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.40 LKR 136

92.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.27 LKR 764

-25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.27 LKR 1,099

-3.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.70 LKR 571

-38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.55 LKR 185

136.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.88 LKR 295

59.09%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.14 LKR 721

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$13.88 LKR 4,663

-68.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.78 LKR 1,606

23.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.09 LKR 2,717

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$7.65 LKR 2,571

-70.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.07 LKR 359

3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$5.84 LKR 1,964

-73.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.25 LKR 421

8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.14 LKR 384

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.36 LKR 458

-16.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.20 LKR 403

-29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.56 LKR 190

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-76.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$12.70 LKR 4,267

-2.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.09 LKR 702

-42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.90 LKR 974

-14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.16 LKR 54.7

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$4.93 LKR 1,657

722.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.38 LKR 129

273.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.35 LKR 119

448.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$0.62 LKR 207

1135.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.19 LKR 401

-16.81%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-33.67%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-22.29%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

35.59%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$4.30 LKR 1,444

131.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$15.37 LKR 5,166

57.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$14.83 LKR 4,984

69.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$7.39 LKR 2,485

159.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$3.28 LKR 1,104

21.34%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

737.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$442 LKR 148.5K

1270.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$27.73 LKR 9,320

109.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$19.12 LKR 6,426

68.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

45.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

174.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$368 LKR 123.6K

29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$173 LKR 58.0K

117.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$971 LKR 326.2K

-12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$369 LKR 124.0K

97.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-10.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

18.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$251 LKR 84.2K

146.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.45

-18.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $368 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 146% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Colombo. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $258, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 146% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $718 in Colombo versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.