Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mahé

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,765 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mahé

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,765 in Mahé.

Medellin $1,639
Mahé $1,765

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,574 in Mahé.

Medellin $2,413
Mahé $2,574

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,384 in Mahé.

Medellin $3,186
Mahé $3,384

Living in Medellin costs roughly 7% less than in Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Mahé 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.64 SCR 252

-54.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$106 SCR 1,516

-55.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.50 SCR 78.6

72.73%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$6.55 SCR 93.6

-54.05%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.60 SCR 22.87

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$12.66 SCR 181

-74.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$8.98 SCR 128

-35.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.59 SCR 22.75

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.07 SCR 15.28

122.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.75 SCR 24.96

1.14%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$4.25 SCR 60.8

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$15.89 SCR 227

-35.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.07 SCR 115

22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.57 SCR 180

11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.06 SCR 29.43

92.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.39 SCR 34.19

-8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$6.26 SCR 89.5

-65.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.08 SCR 15.47

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.09 SCR 15.60

45.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.08 SCR 15.40

6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$13.88 SCR 198

-71.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.15 SCR 30.74

5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.76 SCR 10.88

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$34.96 SCR 500

121.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$14.16 SCR 202

-39.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.46 SCR 20.88

-7.53%

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 547.8K

$49.91 SCR 714

239.91%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$20.85 SCR 298

-35.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$107 SCR 1,536

-73.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$53.2 SCR 760

-17.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.40 SCR 91.6

7.97%

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

$30.31 SCR 433

179.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$11.99 SCR 171

383.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$47.74 SCR 682

182.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$60.1 SCR 858

62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$856 SCR 12.2K

41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$850 SCR 12.1K

-24.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,795 SCR 25.7K

12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,053 SCR 15.1K

-3.96%

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

$865 SCR 12.4K

-24.00%

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 Mahé: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Mahé

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Mahé

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Mahé

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Mahé

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Mahé

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Mahé

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Mahé

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $856 in Mahé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahé pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $106 in Mahé. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $242, with Mahé cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

23:42 11:42 PM

08:42 8:42 AM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

78,539

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 SCR = 7 USD

100 SCR = 6.27 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 14.3 SCR (100 SCR = 7 USD). 1 EUR = 15.96 SCR (100 SCR = 6.27 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Mahé 14,600 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mahé

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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Mahé. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $856 in Mahé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahé pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,765 in Mahé – Medellin is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Mahé on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.