Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Horana

For one person, living is cheaper in Horana: $456 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Horana, Sri Lanka
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Horana
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$456
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Horana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $456 in Horana.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Horana $456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $735 in Horana.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Horana $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,014 in Horana.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Horana $1,014

Living in Medellin is roughly 260% more expensive than in Horana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Horana is 67% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$1.84 LKR 611
339.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$24.86 LKR 8,265
89.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$7.47 LKR 2,484
27.18%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$2.52 LKR 838
19.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$0.59 LKR 195
205.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.22 LKR 73.3
540.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$2.25 LKR 747
41.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$3.07 LKR 1,021
87.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.55 LKR 516
-2.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$0.43 LKR 143
453.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$0.61 LKR 204
190.16%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$1.69 LKR 562
71.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$13.86 LKR 4,608
-26.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$3.99 LKR 1,327
147.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$7.44 LKR 2,472
88.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$2.37 LKR 787
67.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$0.34 LKR 115
355.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$4.26 LKR 1,418
-48.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$1.34 LKR 445
62.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$0.65 LKR 216
201.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$0.69 LKR 230
130.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$0.95 LKR 316
21.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.46 LKR 153
169.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$10.20 LKR 3,389
-61.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$12.91 LKR 4,292
5.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$1.88 LKR 625
-11.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$3.03 LKR 1,008
-25.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Horana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$0.38 LKR 125
234.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$0.37 LKR 124
454.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$0.94 LKR 313
809.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.32 LKR 437
2.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$43.2K LKR 14.3M
-21.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$39.9K LKR 13.3M
-13.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$58.2 LKR 19.4K
191.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$3.02 LKR 1,004
348.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$20.80 LKR 6,914
34.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$4.55 LKR 1,511
51.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$38.12 LKR 12.7K
1989.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$1,188 LKR 395.0K
666.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$17.79 LKR 5,915
376.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$16.33 LKR 5,430
254.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$79.7 LKR 26.5K
69.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$41.70 LKR 13.9K
134.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Horana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
-
-
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 13.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Horana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 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 25, 2026

Last update for Horana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Horana
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Horana
$205 31.1% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Horana
$82 61.2% $129
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Horana
$88 48.1% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Horana
$70 58.6% $99
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Horana
$2.2 * 97.6% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Horana
$9.1 * 84.2% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $25 in Horana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $205 per month, with Horana cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇰 Horana
🕒 Local time
15:49 3:49 PM
02:19 2:19 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
15,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 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 Horana 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Horana

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 Horana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Horana cheaper than Medellin?
Horana is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $684 in Horana 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $38 in Horana. 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 Horana?
Dining out is cheaper in Horana – 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 Horana?
At $456 in Horana versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Horana but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Horana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Horana?
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.

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