Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malatya Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malatya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $989 in Malatya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,491 in Malatya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,993 in Malatya.

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than Malatya, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Malatya 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.63 ₺168

63.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$25.76 ₺1,192

29.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.21 ₺287

16.43%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.21 ₺102

-26.24%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.00 ₺46.05

9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.39 ₺18.26

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.98 ₺138

-41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.46 ₺160

-6.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.05 ₺48.51

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.44 ₺20.46

193.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.98 ₺91.8

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.73 ₺126

-16.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$11.19 ₺518

-61.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$5.08 ₺235

15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$20.63 ₺955

-58.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.15 ₺53.3

95.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.01 ₺93.1

-46.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.07 ₺49.30

42.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.20 ₺55.3

18.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.80 ₺36.89

46.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.76 ₺35.32

53.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.67 ₺30.92

32.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.38 ₺17.78

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.18 ₺101

3.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$10.87 ₺503

1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.47 ₺114

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.44 ₺159

-30.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.67 ₺30.92

25.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$30.19 ₺1,397

38.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.08 ₺50.2

30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.58 ₺26.78

227.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.40 ₺342

4.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.08 ₺50.1

-6.48%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$40.9K ₺1.9M

-57.05%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$43.9K ₺2.0M

-39.70%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$63.0 ₺2,915

32.83%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$9.11 ₺421

3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$8.91 ₺412

170.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$44.10 ₺2,040

-42.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$2.59 ₺120

58.30%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$602 ₺27.8K

-48.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,865 ₺410.1K

-32.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$18.92 ₺875

206.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$25.05 ₺1,159

29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$76.6 ₺3,545

29.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$51.8 ₺2,395

109.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$517 ₺23.9K

-6.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$396 ₺18.3K

-4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$901 ₺41.7K

-7.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$719 ₺33.3K

0.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$959 ₺44.4K

-43.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-71.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Malatya: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $517 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malatya pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Malatya. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $235, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Malatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Malatya differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $989 including rent). Malatya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Malatya earns 77% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $517 in Malatya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Malatya runs roughly 39% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $602 in Malatya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $989 in Malatya versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malatya but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Malatya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Malatya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malatya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.