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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $823 in Madaba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,443 in Madaba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $2,063 in Madaba, rent included.

Medellin costs about 25% more than Madaba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Madaba are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Madaba 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$5.56 JOD 3.94

10.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$49.73 JOD 35.21

-34.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.42 JOD 4.55

14.33%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$3.44 JOD 2.44

-50.00%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.52 JOD 0.37

101.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.35 JOD 0.25

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$4.20 JOD 2.98

-59.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$7.15 JOD 5.06

-55.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.39 JOD 0.98

-24.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.50 JOD 0.36

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.62 JOD 1.15

-13.58%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.66 JOD 1.17

30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$4.24 JOD 3.00

3.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.80 JOD 4.11

1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$11.50 JOD 8.15

-24.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.04 JOD 1.45

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.43 JOD 1.01

-22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.48 JOD 1.05

3.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.67 JOD 0.48

101.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.68 JOD 0.48

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.69 JOD 0.49

63.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.37 JOD 0.26

129.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.58 JOD 0.41

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.13 JOD 1.51

9.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$20.74 JOD 14.68

-40.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$4.89 JOD 3.46

-75.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$5.44 JOD 3.85

-54.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.96 JOD 0.68

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$70.3 JOD 49.80

-42.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.72 JOD 0.51

97.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.44 JOD 1.02

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$7.20 JOD 5.10

6.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.42 JOD 1.01

-30.28%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$27.3K JOD 19.3K

-33.86%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$32.0K JOD 22.6K

-16.74%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$71.4 JOD 50.6

13.12%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$13.92 JOD 9.85

-28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$21.26 JOD 15.05

13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$27.73 JOD 19.63

-9.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$69.5 JOD 49.17

-72.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$11.16 JOD 7.90

-64.34%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$42.95 JOD 30.41

610.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,127 JOD 798

437.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$60.8 JOD 43.04

-4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$49.72 JOD 35.20

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$62.6 JOD 44.32

60.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$35.46 JOD 25.11

203.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$178 JOD 126

167.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$127 JOD 89.8

196.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$390 JOD 276

116.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$351 JOD 249

107.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$486 JOD 344

26.87%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Madaba: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $178 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 27% 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: $193 vs $225 – 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 25% 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 $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,235 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 $1,031 in Medellin and $823 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 $823, than in Medellin at $1,031. 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 $823 versus $1,031 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.