Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $479 a month against $1,625 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 Kurunegala
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Kurunegala Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kurunegala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $479 in Kurunegala.

Medellin $1,625
Kurunegala $479

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $780 in Kurunegala.

Medellin $2,412
Kurunegala $780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,081 in Kurunegala.

Medellin $3,199
Kurunegala $1,081

Living in Medellin is roughly 239% more expensive than in Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kurunegala is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$1.78 LKR 589

366.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$24.99 LKR 8,277

87.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.41 LKR 1,461

109.52%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.58 LKR 853

18.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.43 LKR 143

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.27 LKR 90.0

411.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.24 LKR 741

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.04 LKR 1,006

82.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.47 LKR 488

2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.47 LKR 154

404.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.77 LKR 254

120.78%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.72 LKR 570

72.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$14.01 LKR 4,641

-27.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.93 LKR 1,634

97.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.40 LKR 2,452

87.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$6.51 LKR 2,157

-36.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.87 LKR 287

75.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$4.51 LKR 1,493

-50.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.32 LKR 437

71.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.03 LKR 342

93.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.77 LKR 255

116.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.94 LKR 311

25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.42 LKR 139

195.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$10.40 LKR 3,446

-62.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$12.73 LKR 4,217

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.94 LKR 644

-14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.93 LKR 972

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.40 LKR 134

220.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.31 LKR 104

593.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$0.93 LKR 307

800.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.04 LKR 346

29.81%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-20.92%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

-13.95%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$59.2 LKR 19.6K

181.36%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$4.32 LKR 1,432

215.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$20.93 LKR 6,932

39.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$4.42 LKR 1,465

57.69%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$37.41 LKR 12.4K

2011.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$1,204 LKR 398.7K

651.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$18.13 LKR 6,005

384.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$16.35 LKR 5,416

255.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$80.5 LKR 26.7K

72.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

141.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$150 LKR 49.5K

343.52%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Kurunegala: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Kurunegala

$235 49.1% 21.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Kurunegala

$84 17.6% 59.7% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Kurunegala

$70 14.6% 59.4% $103

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Kurunegala

$78 16.4% 54.1% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Kurunegala

$2 * 0.4% 97.9% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Kurunegala

$8.9 * 1.9% 85% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 344% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Kurunegala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $235 per month, with Kurunegala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

02:30 2:30 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

30,300

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Kurunegala 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kurunegala

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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 344% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $37.41 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $479 in Kurunegala versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kurunegala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.