Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kataragama

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Kataragama $508

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $824 in Kataragama, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Kataragama $824

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,140 in Kataragama, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Kataragama $1,140

Medellin costs about 233% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Kataragama is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$3.87 LKR 1,286

115.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$24.70 LKR 8,214

88.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$7.34 LKR 2,440

29.02%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.43 LKR 807

28.81%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.67 LKR 224

164.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.27 LKR 90.8

425.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.23 LKR 742

41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.08 LKR 1,025

85.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.57 LKR 522

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.56 LKR 187

308.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.76 LKR 253

155.26%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.63 LKR 544

88.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$15.08 LKR 5,015

-33.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.89 LKR 1,627

113.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$7.66 LKR 2,547

82.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$6.54 LKR 2,174

-38.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.83 LKR 276

84.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$4.08 LKR 1,358

-48.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.31 LKR 437

74.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.08 LKR 360

95.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.83 LKR 276

106.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.24 LKR 414

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.45 LKR 150

251.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$10.29 LKR 3,422

-62.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$13.61 LKR 4,527

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.96 LKR 652

-10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.94 LKR 978

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.40 LKR 134

352.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.31 LKR 103

587.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$0.86 LKR 285

845.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.34 LKR 445

-4.48%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

-20.94%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

-25.21%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

212.68%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$4.15 LKR 1,380

234.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$20.61 LKR 6,857

49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$4.50 LKR 1,495

66.00%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$39.71 LKR 13.2K

1889.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

-29.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$18.27 LKR 6,076

372.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$17.51 LKR 5,825

238.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

78.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$41.79 LKR 13.9K

136.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.5

-12.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Kataragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Kataragama

$242 47.7% 21.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Kataragama

$82 16.1% 63.3% $141

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Kataragama

$103 20.3% 40.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Kataragama

$70 13.8% 59.5% $102

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Kataragama

$2 * 0.4% 97.9% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8% 84.2% $48

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 $47 in Medellin versus $25 in Kataragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $242 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

15:18 3:18 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

20,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kataragama 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 233% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $762 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $508 in Kataragama. That makes Kataragama about 70% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $40 in Kataragama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.