Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kolonnawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolonnawa: $488 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
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Kolonnawa Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kolonnawa

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $488 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Kolonnawa $488

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $794 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Kolonnawa $794

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,100 in Kolonnawa, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Kolonnawa $1,100

Medellin costs about 236% more than Kolonnawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kolonnawa is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$3.87 LKR 1,285

109.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$25.33 LKR 8,422

85.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.38 LKR 2,453

28.73%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.45 LKR 816

22.86%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.71 LKR 236

153.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.25 LKR 82.6

464.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.16 LKR 718

47.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.06 LKR 1,018

87.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.56 LKR 519

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.53 LKR 178

349.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.58 LKR 192

205.17%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.66 LKR 551

74.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$10.53 LKR 3,502

-3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.63 LKR 1,539

113.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.32 LKR 2,433

91.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$6.75 LKR 2,243

-41.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.85 LKR 281

82.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$4.43 LKR 1,472

-50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.32 LKR 439

65.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.04 LKR 347

88.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.77 LKR 255

106.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.93 LKR 308

23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.43 LKR 142

188.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$10.34 LKR 3,436

-61.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$10.50 LKR 3,489

30.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.77 LKR 588

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.22 LKR 738

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.16 LKR 53.2

631.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.40 LKR 134

217.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.35 LKR 116

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$0.93 LKR 308

819.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.33 LKR 442

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

-22.32%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

-15.67%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

184.74%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$4.20 LKR 1,397

222.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$20.66 LKR 6,870

35.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.65 LKR 1,546

48.60%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

2032.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$1,188 LKR 394.9K

667.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$18.07 LKR 6,007

368.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$16.73 LKR 5,562

246.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

68.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

134.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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 25, 2026

Last update for Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kolonnawa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6% 26.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3% 60% $127

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2% 39.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5% 58.3% $99

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6% 97% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9% 83.8% $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 Kolonnawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $217 – making Kolonnawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

02:36 2:36 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

64,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kolonnawa 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kolonnawa

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 Kolonnawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 236% more than Kolonnawa, 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $732 in Kolonnawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $488 in Kolonnawa. That makes Kolonnawa about 70% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $37 in Kolonnawa. 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 Kolonnawa, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kolonnawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kolonnawa costs $488 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.