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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $532 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $673 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $813 in Malda.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Malda 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.22 ₹307

83.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$11.43 ₹1,091

188.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$3.50 ₹334

112.29%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.88 ₹179

-12.23%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.41 ₹39.04

168.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.14 ₹13.50

457.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.78 ₹170

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.00 ₹286

6.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.60 ₹57.1

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.40 ₹37.80

215.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.49 ₹46.55

181.63%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$0.76 ₹72.3

186.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$5.54 ₹528

-18.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$2.61 ₹249

121.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.47 ₹236

-6.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.79 ₹75.7

34.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.33 ₹126

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.64 ₹61.2

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.30 ₹28.73

276.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.33 ₹31.78

254.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.44 ₹42.08

104.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.15 ₹14.23

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$3.91 ₹373

-42.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$9.00 ₹858

34.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.68 ₹160

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.42 ₹231

2.48%

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

$2.46 ₹235

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.28 ₹26.57

203.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$8.60 ₹821

383.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.59 ₹56.4

140.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.28 ₹26.35

596.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$1.99 ₹190

296.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.23 ₹117

-19.51%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

11.96%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$22.4K ₹2.1M

19.70%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$41.19 ₹3,928

101.53%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$3.83 ₹366

153.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$5.66 ₹540

315.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$15.80 ₹1,507

59.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$7.00 ₹667

172.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.16 ₹397

-5.05%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$43.87 ₹4,184

619.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$1,567 ₹149.4K

281.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$8.30 ₹791

622.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$8.29 ₹791

283.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$48.98 ₹4,672

107.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$9.28 ₹885

1057.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$296 ₹28.2K

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$228 ₹21.8K

63.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$399 ₹38.1K

112.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$184 ₹17.5K

291.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Malda: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $296 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $107 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 $1,504 in Medellin and $798 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: $475 in Medellin versus $296 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 $11.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $532 in Malda versus $1,003 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.