Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kegalle

For one person, living is cheaper in Kegalle: $594 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Kegalle
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Kegalle Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kegalle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kegalle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $594 in Kegalle.

Medellin $1,614
Kegalle $594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $865 in Kegalle.

Medellin $2,402
Kegalle $865

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,136 in Kegalle.

Medellin $3,190
Kegalle $1,136

Living in Medellin is roughly 172% more expensive than in Kegalle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kegalle is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.05 LKR 1,009

160.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$24.54 LKR 8,130

87.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.47 LKR 2,474

27.18%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.44 LKR 810

27.46%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.47 LKR 155

289.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.27 LKR 90.0

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.23 LKR 738

36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.06 LKR 1,014

79.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.56 LKR 515

-7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.47 LKR 155

402.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.67 LKR 224

150.75%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.60 LKR 528

78.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$14.02 LKR 4,643

-27.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.83 LKR 1,599

97.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$7.37 LKR 2,440

90.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$6.08 LKR 2,013

-33.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.81 LKR 270

85.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.35 LKR 1,442

-50.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.23 LKR 409

87.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.87 LKR 289

121.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.77 LKR 254

112.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.37 LKR 123

205.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.43 LKR 142

190.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$9.79 LKR 3,242

-59.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.70 LKR 4,208

5.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.95 LKR 646

-12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.68 LKR 889

-11.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.59 LKR 194

105.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$7.43 LKR 2,461

929.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.35 LKR 115

277.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.35 LKR 114

511.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$0.87 LKR 287

873.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.37 LKR 455

-5.11%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

-24.99%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$36.8K LKR 12.2M

-3.84%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$59.7 LKR 19.8K

188.50%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$4.31 LKR 1,428

210.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$21.15 LKR 7,005

35.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$19.26 LKR 6,381

134.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$15.06 LKR 4,988

13.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$4.48 LKR 1,485

40.18%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$38.17 LKR 12.6K

1917.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,222 LKR 404.7K

637.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$18.04 LKR 5,976

378.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$15.02 LKR 4,975

280.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$45.07 LKR 14.9K

202.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$41.44 LKR 13.7K

136.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$119 LKR 39.4K

786.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$91.2 LKR 30.2K

574.91%

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

$181 LKR 59.9K

260.76%

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 Kegalle: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Kegalle

$91 15.4% 85.2% $525

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Kegalle

$228 38.3% 22.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Kegalle

$85 14.3% 60.3% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Kegalle

$54 9.1% 68.4% $116

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Kegalle

$96 16.2% 42.8% $72

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Kegalle

$12 2% 87.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Kegalle

$28 4.8% 51.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $119 in Kegalle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 261% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Kegalle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $228 per month, with Kegalle cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Kegalle

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

17:12 5:12 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

17,900

💱 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 Kegalle 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kegalle

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 Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kegalle wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kegalle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 261% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $119 in Kegalle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $594 in Kegalle – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Kegalle versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kegalle delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $594 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kegalle hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kegalle 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 Kegalle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.