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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,521 in Hulhumale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,721 in Hulhumale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $3,921 in Hulhumale.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 33% less than in Hulhumale, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Hulhumale is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.38 MVR 83.0

10.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$29.74 MVR 459

12.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$9.59 MVR 148

-24.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MVR 68.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MVR 58.4

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.94 MVR 45.30

-44.56%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.27 MVR 19.58

-14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.27 MVR 4.19

170.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.81 MVR 27.90

-41.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.57 MVR 24.15

-17.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.31 MVR 4.71

325.81%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.53 MVR 23.60

48.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.22 MVR 127

-47.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.11 MVR 94.2

-3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.65 MVR 133

-0.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$4.01 MVR 61.8

-43.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$3.73 MVR 57.5

-71.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$4.39 MVR 67.7

-65.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.22 MVR 49.66

-55.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.55 MVR 23.96

-24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.23 MVR 18.96

-4.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$3.13 MVR 48.29

-71.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.50 MVR 7.68

80.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.23 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MVR 41.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.00 MVR 154

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$8.34 MVR 129

-73.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.98 MVR 30.56

-28.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.92 MVR 29.68

-1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$9.52 MVR 147

-18.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.96 MVR 14.84

5.21%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$32.6K MVR 502.3K

-46.04%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$34.4K MVR 530.5K

-22.98%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$107 MVR 1,650

-21.77%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$42.13 MVR 650

-77.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$42.52 MVR 656

-43.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$65.1 MVR 1,004

-61.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$9.52 MVR 147

-56.93%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$160 MVR 2,460

95.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,594 MVR 55.4K

66.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$45.16 MVR 696

28.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$56.3 MVR 868

-42.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$88.7 MVR 1,368

12.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$53.4 MVR 823

103.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$1,294 MVR 20.0K

-62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$768 MVR 11.8K

-50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$2,918 MVR 45.0K

-71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$2,283 MVR 35.2K

-68.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$5,384 MVR 83.0K

-47.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$494 MVR 7,620

147.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$710 MVR 10.9K

-23.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.4

8.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $1,294 in Hulhumale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hulhumale pays 31% 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 $30.00 in Hulhumale. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $224, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 50% 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.

On paper, Hulhumale earns 31% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $1,294 in Hulhumale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $160 in Hulhumale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $30.00 in Hulhumale. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,521 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Hulhumale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.