Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Homagama Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Homagama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $492 in Homagama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $747 in Homagama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,001 in Homagama.

Living in Medellin is roughly 233% more expensive than in Homagama, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Homagama is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.38 LKR 1,439

83.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$25.90 LKR 8,509

86.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.71 LKR 2,534

22.18%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.48 LKR 816

18.55%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.69 LKR 226

169.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.27 LKR 88.9

440.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.29 LKR 753

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.98 LKR 979

91.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.87 LKR 285

65.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.53 LKR 173

352.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.53 LKR 174

220.75%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.59 LKR 524

81.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$13.15 LKR 4,322

-23.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.25 LKR 1,069

206.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.12 LKR 2,339

99.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$6.95 LKR 2,285

-42.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.84 LKR 276

88.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$4.36 LKR 1,431

-50.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.24 LKR 408

85.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.00 LKR 330

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.82 LKR 269

84.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.88 LKR 290

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.44 LKR 145

190.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$10.28 LKR 3,376

-62.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.01 LKR 3,946

16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.88 LKR 618

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.19 LKR 720

25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.47 LKR 156

165.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.35 LKR 116

274.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.35 LKR 116

520.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$0.87 LKR 284

852.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.15 LKR 377

18.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$13.7K LKR 4.5M

99.90%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$21.8K LKR 7.1M

67.93%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$21.06 LKR 6,921

701.14%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.02 LKR 993

349.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$20.63 LKR 6,780

37.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$7.80 LKR 2,565

486.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.47 LKR 1,468

48.77%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$37.53 LKR 12.3K

2040.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,198 LKR 393.7K

666.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$19.97 LKR 6,561

337.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$12.29 LKR 4,040

383.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$24.15 LKR 7,934

475.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$27.98 LKR 9,195

264.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$140 LKR 45.9K

667.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$60.4 LKR 19.8K

981.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$154 LKR 50.5K

326.61%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Homagama: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $140 in Homagama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 327% 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 $26.00 in Homagama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $214 per month, with Homagama 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 Homagama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Homagama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 233% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 327% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $140 in Homagama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $37.53 in Homagama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Homagama – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $492 in Homagama versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 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.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Homagama are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Homagama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 233% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.