Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Madaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Madaba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $827 in Madaba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,425 in Madaba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,023 in Madaba, rent included.

Medellin costs about 22% more than Madaba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Madaba are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Madaba 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$5.71 JOD 4.04

4.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$49.84 JOD 35.29

-34.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.22 JOD 4.40

13.99%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.54 JOD 2.51

-51.69%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.48 JOD 0.34

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.37 JOD 0.27

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$4.20 JOD 2.98

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$7.12 JOD 5.04

-56.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.43 JOD 1.01

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.52 JOD 0.37

142.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.62 JOD 1.15

-14.81%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.70 JOD 1.21

28.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.25 JOD 3.01

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.70 JOD 4.04

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$11.28 JOD 7.98

-21.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.97 JOD 1.39

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.38 JOD 0.98

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.43 JOD 1.01

4.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.68 JOD 0.48

102.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.70 JOD 0.49

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.69 JOD 0.49

68.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.37 JOD 0.26

140.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.58 JOD 0.41

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.11 JOD 1.49

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$20.87 JOD 14.77

-49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$4.86 JOD 3.44

-75.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$5.56 JOD 3.93

-55.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.88 JOD 0.63

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$69.2 JOD 49.02

-40.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.68 JOD 0.48

116.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.44 JOD 1.02

36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.89 JOD 4.88

12.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.43 JOD 1.01

-33.57%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$27.2K JOD 19.3K

-33.33%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$32.9K JOD 23.3K

-19.40%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$70.0 JOD 49.58

17.45%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$14.32 JOD 10.14

-33.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$21.23 JOD 15.03

14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$27.95 JOD 19.79

-7.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$70.9 JOD 50.2

-73.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.17 JOD 7.91

-64.82%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$42.18 JOD 29.86

633.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,121 JOD 794

432.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$61.3 JOD 43.37

-4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$49.58 JOD 35.11

-34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$64.2 JOD 45.44

59.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$34.90 JOD 24.71

210.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$177 JOD 126

168.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$126 JOD 89.0

201.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$393 JOD 278

113.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$357 JOD 253

102.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$502 JOD 356

1.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.25

114.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Madaba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $177 in Madaba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $50.0 in Madaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $224 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Madaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 22% more than Madaba, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,241 in Madaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Madaba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $50.0 in Madaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,013 in Medellin and $827 in Madaba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Madaba, where all-in costs run around $827, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Madaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madaba costs $827 versus $1,013 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Madaba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.