Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malda Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $542 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $680 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $819 in Malda.

Living in Medellin is roughly 88% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Malda 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.16 ₹301

88.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$11.53 ₹1,097

189.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.42 ₹326

111.40%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.88 ₹179

-13.30%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.38 ₹35.69

186.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.13 ₹12.13

461.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.78 ₹169

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.94 ₹280

9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.58 ₹55.3

81.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.43 ₹40.51

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.53 ₹50.7

149.06%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$0.80 ₹76.5

183.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$5.32 ₹506

-18.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.61 ₹248

125.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.42 ₹231

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.79 ₹74.9

35.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.25 ₹119

21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.66 ₹62.4

115.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.30 ₹28.71

290.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.33 ₹31.47

254.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.44 ₹42.03

102.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.15 ₹14.12

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.06 ₹386

-44.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$8.33 ₹792

32.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.74 ₹165

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.51 ₹239

-5.18%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$2.41 ₹230

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.28 ₹26.42

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$8.84 ₹841

374.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.59 ₹56.4

138.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.30 ₹28.65

533.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.07 ₹197

274.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.18 ₹113

-14.41%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

12.15%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$22.5K ₹2.1M

17.88%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$41.81 ₹3,976

100.14%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$4.04 ₹384

133.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$5.91 ₹562

307.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$16.14 ₹1,535

56.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$6.95 ₹661

175.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.10 ₹390

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$43.41 ₹4,128

618.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,569 ₹149.2K

281.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$8.13 ₹773

613.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$8.10 ₹770

301.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$48.72 ₹4,633

104.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$9.10 ₹865

1092.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$291 ₹27.6K

66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$229 ₹21.8K

65.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$403 ₹38.4K

107.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$178 ₹17.0K

305.43%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.9

35.66%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Malda: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $291 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $105 per month, with Malda cheaper across the board.

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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $813 in Malda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $291 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malda – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $542 in Malda versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Malda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Malda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Malda is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Malda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.