Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mardan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mardan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $424 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $638 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $851 in Mardan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 136% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Mardan 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.06 PKR 571

186.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$14.31 PKR 3,970

130.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$5.36 PKR 1,487

38.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.00 PKR 556

-17.50%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.31 PKR 87.1

254.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.24 PKR 66.7

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.77 PKR 214

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.62 PKR 171

103.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.84 PKR 233

64.29%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.19 PKR 331

83.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$6.33 PKR 1,756

-29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$2.31 PKR 641

150.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$3.26 PKR 904

175.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$0.69 PKR 191

236.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.55 PKR 152

92.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.96 PKR 268

58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.33 PKR 92.6

312.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.24 PKR 66.6

370.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.37 PKR 102

216.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.33 PKR 91.8

172.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.13 PKR 35.05

592.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.43 PKR 398

55.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.18 PKR 49.54

372.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$6.89 PKR 1,911

504.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.36 PKR 101

294.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.34 PKR 94.9

473.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$1.81 PKR 502

335.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.89 PKR 248

11.24%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

-17.21%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

1.79%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$112 PKR 31.1K

-26.00%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$5.55 PKR 1,540

74.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$18.45 PKR 5,120

27.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$12.30 PKR 3,414

105.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$5.99 PKR 1,664

218.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.26 PKR 1,181

-7.28%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$17.48 PKR 4,851

1706.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

437.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$21.33 PKR 5,920

181.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$27.63 PKR 7,669

15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$17.39 PKR 4,827

517.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

528.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

621.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$167 PKR 46.3K

409.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$105 PKR 29.1K

585.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$867 PKR 240.6K

276.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$511 PKR 141.9K

181.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

20.2

-33.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $75.5 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $79.0 per month, with Mardan 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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $636 in Mardan 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 $75.5 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $17.48 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.