Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lilongwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Lilongwe: $641 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Lilongwe
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Lilongwe Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Lilongwe

🇲🇼 Malawi

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lilongwe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $641 in Lilongwe.

Medellin $1,625
Lilongwe $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,277 in Lilongwe.

Medellin $2,412
Lilongwe $1,277

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,913 in Lilongwe.

Medellin $3,199
Lilongwe $1,913

Living in Medellin is roughly 153% more expensive than in Lilongwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lilongwe is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$4.98 MWK 8,555

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$34.36 MWK 59.0K

36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$10.11 MWK 17.4K

-8.61%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.29 MWK 5,654

-7.29%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.23 MWK 2,109

46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.60 MWK 1,026

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.24 MWK 3,850

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.00 MWK 6,875

39.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.28 MWK 2,204

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.83 MWK 3,145

29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.75 MWK 3,005

-2.86%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.88 MWK 4,952

2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$16.02 MWK 27.5K

-36.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.09 MWK 8,746

91.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$3.92 MWK 6,735

254.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.55 MWK 4,370

61.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.21 MWK 2,083

26.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.46 MWK 2,501

52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.22 MWK 3,809

2.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.07 MWK 3,546

-3.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.99 MWK 1,700

68.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.03 MWK 1,763

20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.37 MWK 4,072

63.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$23.72 MWK 40.7K

-41.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.19 MWK 2,042

39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.57 MWK 4,412

-6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.90 MWK 1,551

37.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$4.28 MWK 7,341

1727.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.54 MWK 4,355

-15.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$2.20 MWK 3,776

280.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.56 MWK 2,679

-13.46%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$45.36 MWK 77.9K

267.39%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.62 MWK 20.0K

17.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$60.3 MWK 103.6K

-51.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$30.44 MWK 52.3K

48.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$350 MWK 601.5K

125.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$544 MWK 933.2K

89.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$85.6 MWK 147.0K

623.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$578 MWK 992.6K

225.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$694 MWK 1.2M

45.20%

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

$370 MWK 635.2K

79.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lilongwe: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Lilongwe

$86 13.4% 86.2% $534

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Lilongwe

$251 * 39.1% 15.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Lilongwe

$117 18.3% 44% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Lilongwe

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Lilongwe

$136 21.3% 20.3% $35

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Lilongwe

$21 * 3.2% 78.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Lilongwe

$30 * 4.8% 48.4% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $544 in Lilongwe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 79% 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 $34.00 in Lilongwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $251 per month, with Lilongwe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇼 Lilongwe

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

781,538 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MWK, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Malawian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,717 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD). 1 EUR = 1,930 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Lilongwe 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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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 Lilongwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lilongwe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 153% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $544 in Lilongwe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lilongwe – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $641 in Lilongwe versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lilongwe but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lilongwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lilongwe 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.

Expats usually find Lilongwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.