Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malatya

For one person, living is cheaper in Malatya: $687 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Malatya, Turkey
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Malatya
🇹🇷 Turkey
$687
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Malatya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $687 in Malatya.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Malatya $687

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,058 in Malatya.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Malatya $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,429 in Malatya.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Malatya $1,429

Living in Medellin is roughly 146% more expensive than in Malatya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Malatya is 49% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$4.74 ₺237
75.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$29.59 ₺1,480
57.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$7.27 ₺364
30.26%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$1.56 ₺78.1
100.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,727
$0.93 ₺46.35
90.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,619
$0.32 ₺15.81
343.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$2.21 ₺111
42.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$3.51 ₺176
62.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,969
$0.79 ₺39.47
93.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,429
$0.76 ₺38.20
201.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,306
$2.68 ₺134
-27.61%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,942
$1.73 ₺86.4
77.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$8.15 ₺408
22.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$2.28 ₺114
358.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$15.99 ₺800
-12.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.61 ₺80.6
151.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,956
$1.56 ₺78.2
-1.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,823
$0.79 ₺39.36
165.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,437
$0.74 ₺37.04
209.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,839
$0.39 ₺19.69
441.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,542
$0.37 ₺18.62
362.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,794
$0.51 ₺25.72
129.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,123
$0.48 ₺23.88
229.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$1.94 ₺97.1
101.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.5K
$11.94 ₺597
17.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,712
$1.84 ₺92.2
-4.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,793
$2.14 ₺107
26.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,825
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,859
$0.73 ₺36.73
147.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,904
$0.69 ₺34.50
208.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,135
$1.33 ₺66.4
-3.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$40.2K ₺2.0M
-14.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$40.5K ₺2.0M
-15.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.3K
$30.18 ₺1,510
488.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$10.13 ₺507
37.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$14.05 ₺703
118.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$35.41 ₺1,771
18.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$5.23 ₺262
42.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 279.9K
$15.02 ₺751
474.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$71.1 ₺3,558
-16.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.6K
$50.1 ₺2,505
176.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.4K
$29.91 ₺1,496
230.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$332 ₺16.6K
303.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$217 ₺10.9K
206.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$466 ₺23.3K
323.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$326 ₺16.3K
216.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Malatya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$1,105 ₺55.3K
-41.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
43
-74.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Malatya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Malatya
$217 67.4% $450
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Malatya
$188 38.7% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Malatya
$54 75.5% $168
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Malatya
$102 41.2% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Malatya
$75 56.6% $97
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Malatya
$4.2 * 95.5% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Malatya
$46 19.4% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $332 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malatya pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $30 in Malatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $188 per month, with Malatya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇹🇷 Malatya
🕒 Local time
17:08 5:08 PM
01:08 1:08 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
781,305
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Malatya 11,610 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Malatya

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 Malatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Malatya?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $687 in Malatya, so Malatya is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 42% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Malatya?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $332 in Malatya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Malatya – a meal for two runs $30 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Malatya?
All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $687 in Malatya – Malatya is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $687 in Malatya versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Malatya?
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.

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