Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mahajanga

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $538 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Mahajanga $538

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $792 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Mahajanga $792

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,045 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Mahajanga $1,045

Medellin costs about 205% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.02 MGA 9,238

300.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$17.69 MGA 81.0K

165.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$0.64 MGA 2,927

370.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.90 MGA 4,108

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.84 MGA 3,850

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.97 MGA 4,431

227.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.57 MGA 7,197

266.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.34 MGA 6,128

12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$0.81 MGA 3,726

193.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$0.60 MGA 2,740

195.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.06 MGA 9,446

40.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

55.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

50.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

304.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.07 MGA 4,898

271.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$0.63 MGA 2,866

146.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$0.68 MGA 3,110

220.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$0.68 MGA 3,134

220.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$0.52 MGA 2,366

276.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$0.54 MGA 2,463

194.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$0.32 MGA 1,450

259.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.57 MGA 2,598

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.85 MGA 40.5K

54.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.76 MGA 3,462

118.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$0.90 MGA 4,128

151.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.24 MGA 1,104

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.33 MGA 6,110

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$43.81 MGA 200.5K

287.24%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

106.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$21.87 MGA 100.1K

28.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$17.71 MGA 81.0K

146.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$325 MGA 1.5M

271.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$265 MGA 1.2M

142.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$661 MGA 3.0M

206.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$436 MGA 2.0M

132.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 25, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $325 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $144 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

246,022

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Mahajanga 13,610 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 205% more than Mahajanga, 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 $808 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $538 in Mahajanga. That makes Mahajanga about 67% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $538 in Mahajanga to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.