Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
Learn more

Hikkaduwa Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Medellin $1,614
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Medellin $2,402
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Medellin $3,190
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Medellin is roughly 217% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Hikkaduwa is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$4.45 LKR 1,475

78.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.4K

$24.59 LKR 8,144

87.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$7.57 LKR 2,507

25.50%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,873

$2.50 LKR 827

24.40%

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

$1.83 COP 5,804

$0.72 LKR 238

154.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,363

$0.27 LKR 90.1

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,678

$2.16 LKR 716

41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.01 LKR 998

82.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,603

$1.57 LKR 520

-7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,501

$0.53 LKR 175

345.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,332

$0.80 LKR 266

110.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,083

$1.60 LKR 530

78.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$14.00 LKR 4,636

-27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.88 LKR 1,618

95.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$7.26 LKR 2,405

93.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-40.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,745

$0.85 LKR 281

76.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,896

$4.46 LKR 1,478

-51.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,315

$1.23 LKR 406

87.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,117

$1.02 LKR 339

89.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,199

$0.82 LKR 270

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,573

$0.92 LKR 306

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,957

$0.44 LKR 145

184.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$10.32 LKR 3,418

-61.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.4K

$13.70 LKR 4,536

-2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,387

$1.89 LKR 625

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,530

$3.01 LKR 998

-21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,830

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,182

$0.38 LKR 126

247.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,778

$0.37 LKR 123

478.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$0.88 LKR 293

862.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,117

$1.33 LKR 441

-2.26%

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

$28.0K COP 88.8M

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-25.87%

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

$35.4K COP 112.4M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-13.43%

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

$172 COP 546.0K

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

213.92%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$4.14 LKR 1,371

222.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$21.01 LKR 6,959

36.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.45 LKR 1,474

41.12%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1946.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

634.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.2K

$18.35 LKR 6,077

370.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.3K

$16.80 LKR 5,564

240.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 433.2K

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

75.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.6K

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

128.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 19% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 62.7% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 58.8% $100

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 35.2% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 97.6% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 84.6% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $239 per month, with Hikkaduwa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

16:40 4:40 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

101,342

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 3,173 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,559 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Hikkaduwa 16,990 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hikkaduwa

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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 217% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $763 in Hikkaduwa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $509 in Hikkaduwa – a 217% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hikkaduwa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hikkaduwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hikkaduwa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.