🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,506 in Hulhumale.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,680 in Hulhumale.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $3,854 in Hulhumale.
🙂Living in Medellin costs roughly 31% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Hulhumale is 12% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.92COP 21.4K
$5.41MVR 83.6
9.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.75COP 118.2K
$28.88MVR 446
13.40%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.20COP 26.0K
$9.97MVR 154
-27.78%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$4.58MVR 70.7
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.74MVR 57.8
-
Cappuccino
$1.70COP 6,140
$2.84MVR 43.93
-40.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10COP 3,966
$1.33MVR 20.51
-17.29%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72COP 2,605
$0.25MVR 3.86
188.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.67COP 6,022
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10COP 11.2K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.06COP 3,809
$1.78MVR 27.45
-40.45%
White Bread(500g)
$1.25COP 4,497
$1.55MVR 23.92
-19.35%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.39COP 5,022
$0.33MVR 5.17
321.21%
Eggs
$2.26COP 8,168
$1.54MVR 23.87
46.75%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.33COP 15.6K
$8.01MVR 124
-45.94%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.84COP 21.1K
$6.05MVR 93.5
-3.47%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.83COP 31.9K
$8.63MVR 133
2.32%
Apples(1kg)
$2.24COP 8,099
$3.98MVR 61.5
-43.72%
Banana(1kg)
$1.08COP 3,882
$3.71MVR 57.3
-70.89%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.53COP 5,522
$4.21MVR 65.1
-63.66%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.37COP 4,950
$3.24MVR 50.0
-57.72%
Potato(1kg)
$1.13COP 4,078
$1.52MVR 23.44
-25.66%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12COP 4,036
$1.23MVR 19.08
-8.94%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.85COP 3,057
$3.06MVR 47.31
-72.22%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91COP 3,281
$0.50MVR 7.68
82.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$12.23MVR 189
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.66MVR 41.16
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$9.80MVR 151
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.33COP 8,414
$7.92MVR 122
-70.58%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.13COP 40.2K
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19COP 4,309
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37COP 8,553
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.79COP 2,838
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.13COP 148.5K
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.44COP 5,184
$2.00MVR 30.98
-28.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.91COP 6,901
$1.94MVR 29.93
-1.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.02COP 28.9K
$9.98MVR 154
-19.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.94COP 3,385
$0.91MVR 14.12
3.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
$32.6KMVR 503.7K
-45.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
$34.0KMVR 525.9K
-21.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$84.0COP 303.1K
$108MVR 1,670
-22.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.60COP 34.7K
$40.96MVR 633
-76.56%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.16COP 87.2K
$41.62MVR 643
-41.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$25.88COP 93.4K
$65.7MVR 1,015
-60.60%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04COP 68.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.92COP 14.1K
$9.89MVR 153
-60.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$306COP 1.1M
$165MVR 2,553
85.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,919COP 21.4M
$3,595MVR 55.5K
64.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.9COP 209.1K
$44.10MVR 681
31.32%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.82COP 114.9K
$56.9MVR 879
-44.08%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.9COP 360.6K
$90.7MVR 1,401
10.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107COP 386.8K
$53.3MVR 824
100.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$487COP 1.8M
$1,279MVR 19.8K
-61.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$368COP 1.3M
$774MVR 12.0K
-52.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826COP 3.0M
$2,878MVR 44.5K
-71.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$716COP 2.6M
$2,292MVR 35.4K
-68.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,925COP 10.6M
$5,375MVR 83.0K
-45.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,407COP 5.1M
$494MVR 7,632
184.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Hulhumale
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$546COP 2.0M
$709MVR 10.9K
-23.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.43
12.4
8.31%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Hulhumale: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $1,279 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Hulhumale pays 30% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $221, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Medellin vs Hulhumale: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Hulhumale?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Hulhumale. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or Hulhumale?
On paper, Hulhumale earns 30% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin vs Hulhumale?
Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $1,279 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and Hulhumale?
Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $165 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin vs Hulhumale?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $29.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Medellin or Hulhumale?
At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,506 in Hulhumale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hulhumale. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Hulhumale?
Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.
How safe is Medellin compared to Hulhumale?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Medellin vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado