Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hulhumale Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hulhumale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,447 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,576 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,704 in Hulhumale.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Hulhumale 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.16 MVR 95.0

30.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$38.91 MVR 600

23.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.46 MVR 146

4.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 MVR 76.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MVR 76.1

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.64 MVR 56.1

-14.01%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.61 MVR 24.85

18.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.29 MVR 4.40

420.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.62 MVR 25.05

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.66 MVR 25.61

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.33 MVR 5.15

436.36%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.80 MVR 27.76

64.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$3.28 MVR 50.5

207.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.94 MVR 91.6

70.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.61 MVR 148

48.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$4.00 MVR 61.7

3.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$3.13 MVR 48.20

-48.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.83 MVR 43.72

-20.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.68 MVR 41.25

-16.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.28 MVR 19.78

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.16 MVR 17.89

32.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.10 MVR 32.36

-44.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.58 MVR 8.90

125.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 MVR 31.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$12.91 MVR 199

-69.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.93 MVR 29.69

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.91 MVR 29.46

14.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$9.85 MVR 152

-11.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.97 MVR 14.92

41.24%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$32.1K MVR 495.4K

-13.35%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$29.5K MVR 454.5K

21.36%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$105 MVR 1,620

68.74%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$29.86 MVR 460

-53.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$71.8 MVR 1,106

-58.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.47 MVR 146

-29.78%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$183 MVR 2,824

343.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,060 MVR 47.2K

200.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$39.54 MVR 610

126.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$48.94 MVR 755

20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$88.0 MVR 1,356

57.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$52.8 MVR 815

93.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,142 MVR 17.6K

-7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$785 MVR 12.1K

-15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,306 MVR 35.6K

-18.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$2,310 MVR 35.6K

-55.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$5,464 MVR 84.3K

-23.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$503 MVR 7,755

233.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$706 MVR 10.9K

-3.99%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Hulhumale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $195 per month, with Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale wins on cost – living expenses run 16% 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 4% lower in Hulhumale. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,142 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 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 $39.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Hulhumale versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hulhumale but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hulhumale the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hulhumale delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,447 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hulhumale hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hulhumale 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 Hulhumale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.