Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kandana

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandana: $507 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandana
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Kandana Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kandana

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kandana

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $507 in Kandana, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Kandana $507

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $823 in Kandana, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Kandana $823

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,140 in Kandana, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Kandana $1,140

Medellin costs about 219% more than Kandana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kandana is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$4.48 LKR 1,485

77.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$24.62 LKR 8,154

87.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.37 LKR 2,440

28.90%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.40 LKR 794

29.58%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.71 LKR 236

157.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.27 LKR 90.4

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.18 LKR 721

39.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.99 LKR 991

83.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.57 LKR 521

-7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.52 LKR 174

353.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.78 LKR 259

115.38%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.65 LKR 547

73.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$13.93 LKR 4,612

-26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.99 LKR 1,653

90.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$7.25 LKR 2,401

93.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$6.73 LKR 2,230

-39.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.80 LKR 267

87.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.42 LKR 1,464

-50.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.27 LKR 421

81.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.03 LKR 340

87.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.75 LKR 248

118.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.89 LKR 294

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.47 LKR 156

165.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$10.45 LKR 3,461

-61.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$13.81 LKR 4,573

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.96 LKR 650

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.91 LKR 965

-18.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.38 LKR 125

247.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.37 LKR 124

478.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$0.90 LKR 297

841.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.34 LKR 444

-2.99%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$37.7K LKR 12.5M

-25.70%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$41.2K LKR 13.7M

-14.09%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$54.9 LKR 18.2K

213.69%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$4.26 LKR 1,411

213.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$20.50 LKR 6,789

40.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.35 LKR 1,439

44.37%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$37.07 LKR 12.3K

1977.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,230 LKR 407.2K

632.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$17.89 LKR 5,926

383.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$16.37 LKR 5,423

248.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$77.8 LKR 25.8K

75.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$42.99 LKR 14.2K

127.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 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 12, 2026

Last update for Kandana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Kandana

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Kandana

$239 47.1% 19% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Kandana

$80 15.7% 62.8% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Kandana

$70 13.8% 59% $100

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Kandana

$108 21.2% 36.1% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Kandana

$2.3 * 0.4% 97.6% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Kandana

$8.7 * 1.7% 85% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Kandana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $239 – making Kandana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Kandana

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

18:39 6:39 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

15,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kandana 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kandana

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 Kandana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 219%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $760 in Kandana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $507 in Kandana. That's a gap of about 219%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $37.07 in Kandana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kandana, where all-in costs run around $507, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Kandana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kandana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kandana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.