Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Homagama

For one person, living is cheaper in Homagama: $485 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Homagama, Sri Lanka
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Homagama
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$485
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Homagama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $485 in Homagama.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Homagama $485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $742 in Homagama.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Homagama $742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $998 in Homagama.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Homagama $998

Living in Medellin is roughly 238% more expensive than in Homagama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Homagama is 64% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$3.72 LKR 1,237
117.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$25.25 LKR 8,395
86.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$7.65 LKR 2,542
24.18%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$2.53 LKR 841
18.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$0.68 LKR 227
164.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$0.27 LKR 90.3
422.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$2.19 LKR 728
45.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$3.03 LKR 1,008
89.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$0.86 LKR 288
75.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$0.54 LKR 179
340.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$0.51 LKR 171
247.06%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$1.70 LKR 565
70.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$14.01 LKR 4,656
-27.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$3.29 LKR 1,093
200.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$7.33 LKR 2,436
90.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$6.67 LKR 2,219
-40.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$0.87 LKR 288
78.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$4.46 LKR 1,483
-51.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$1.32 LKR 438
65.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$1.01 LKR 336
94.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$0.81 LKR 270
96.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$0.95 LKR 315
21.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.43 LKR 143
188.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$10.18 LKR 3,384
-61.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$12.20 LKR 4,055
12.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$1.86 LKR 617
-10.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$2.13 LKR 707
6.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$0.47 LKR 157
148.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$0.35 LKR 115
262.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.37 LKR 123
454.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$0.95 LKR 314
800.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.09 LKR 362
23.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$13.6K LKR 4.5M
151.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$21.4K LKR 7.1M
62.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$21.27 LKR 7,070
697.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$3.04 LKR 1,009
345.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$20.60 LKR 6,850
36.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$7.36 LKR 2,448
493.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$4.40 LKR 1,462
57.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$37.10 LKR 12.3K
2047.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$1,228 LKR 408.2K
642.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$18.30 LKR 6,083
362.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$12.20 LKR 4,057
375.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$24.25 LKR 8,061
456.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$27.07 LKR 9,000
261.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$136 LKR 45.4K
785.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$61.4 LKR 20.4K
944.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Homagama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$149 LKR 49.6K
340.86%
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 25, 2026

Last update for Homagama: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Homagama
$61 90.4% $580
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Homagama
$218 26.6% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Homagama
$45 78.7% $166
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Homagama
$104 38.8% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Homagama
$37 78.2% $132
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Homagama
$4.1 * 95.6% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Homagama
$16 71.9% $41

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 $1,208 in Medellin and $136 in Homagama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $25 in Homagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $218 per month, with Homagama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇰 Homagama
🕒 Local time
00:27 12:27 AM
10:57 10:57 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
25,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Homagama 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Homagama

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 Homagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Homagama cheaper than Medellin?
Homagama is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Medellin or Homagama?
Average pay in Medellin is about 4.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Homagama?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $136 in Homagama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $37 in Homagama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Homagama?
Dining out is cheaper in Homagama – a meal for two runs $25 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Homagama?
At $485 in Homagama versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Homagama but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Homagama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Medellin or Homagama more family-friendly?
For families, Homagama 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Homagama wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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