Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hulhumale

For one person, living is cheaper in Hulhumale: $1,420 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,420

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hulhumale

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,420 in Hulhumale.

Medellin $1,639
Hulhumale $1,420

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,583 in Hulhumale.

Medellin $2,413
Hulhumale $2,583

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,747 in Hulhumale.

Medellin $3,186
Hulhumale $3,747

Living in Medellin is roughly 15% more expensive than in Hulhumale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Hulhumale 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.09 MVR 93.9

32.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$39.34 MVR 607

19.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.58 MVR 148

-0.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 MVR 73.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.47 MVR 53.5

-13.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.60 MVR 24.64

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.29 MVR 4.46

386.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.54 MVR 23.70

-1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.62 MVR 24.97

46.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.33 MVR 5.10

436.36%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.84 MVR 28.39

57.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.29 MVR 50.8

209.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.94 MVR 91.5

66.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.36 MVR 144

49.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.02 MVR 61.9

-1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$3.14 MVR 48.43

-50.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.84 MVR 43.72

-23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.65 MVR 40.87

-17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.23 MVR 19.00

59.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.15 MVR 17.66

38.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.08 MVR 32.15

-44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.58 MVR 9.00

113.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.13 MVR 187

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MVR 41.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MVR 29.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$12.99 MVR 200

-69.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.99 MVR 30.74

-36.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.92 MVR 29.58

6.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.09 MVR 156

-15.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.98 MVR 15.04

37.76%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$32.6K MVR 502.7K

4.50%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$28.9K MVR 444.9K

20.17%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$105 MVR 1,617

61.80%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$29.88 MVR 461

-54.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$71.5 MVR 1,103

-60.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.57 MVR 148

-27.80%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$183 MVR 2,825

334.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,027 MVR 46.7K

201.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$38.84 MVR 599

118.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$49.67 MVR 766

16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$85.7 MVR 1,321

57.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$52.3 MVR 806

87.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,147 MVR 17.7K

5.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$762 MVR 11.8K

-15.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,237 MVR 34.5K

-9.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,299 MVR 35.5K

-56.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$5,433 MVR 83.8K

-23.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$506 MVR 7,798

277.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$721 MVR 11.1K

-8.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-21.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Hulhumale

$762 53.7% 18.8% $121

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Hulhumale

$193 13.6% 35.1% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Hulhumale

$206 14.5% 2.4% $5

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Hulhumale

$127 8.9% 25.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Hulhumale

$102 7.2% 39.7% $67

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Hulhumale

$12 * 0.8% 87.6% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Hulhumale

$19 * 1.4% 66.7% $38

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 $1,147 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $39 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $193 per month, with Hulhumale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

09:08 9:08 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.22 MVR (100 MVR = 5.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Hulhumale 16,400 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hulhumale

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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hulhumale the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,147 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $183 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hulhumale – a meal for two runs $39 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Hulhumale is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.