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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $500 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $767 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,033 in Mardan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 236% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Mardan is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.59 PKR 994

123.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$23.00 PKR 6,371

108.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.53 PKR 1,531

78.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.62 PKR 725

19.47%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.36 PKR 98.5

430.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.23 PKR 64.0

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.91 PKR 252

58.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.79 PKR 220

215.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.29 PKR 357

37.21%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.21 PKR 336

144.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$2.97 PKR 823

239.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.12 PKR 864

224.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$3.74 PKR 1,035

282.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$0.94 PKR 260

340.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.74 PKR 205

117.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.06 PKR 295

112.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.37 PKR 103

508.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.28 PKR 78.3

628.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.35 PKR 98.2

340.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.28 PKR 76.4

317.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.37 PKR 103

254.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 489

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PKR 326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 746

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.78 PKR 493

119.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.16 PKR 43.23

662.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$10.72 PKR 2,970

650.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.30 PKR 359

0.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.74 PKR 205

195.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.66 PKR 460

424.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.02 PKR 283

34.31%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

29.79%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

48.98%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$104 PKR 28.9K

70.22%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$5.69 PKR 1,575

143.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$15.72 PKR 4,353

89.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$14.73 PKR 4,079

204.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.34 PKR 1,203

53.23%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$75.2 PKR 20.8K

980.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,028 PKR 284.9K

793.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$24.74 PKR 6,852

261.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$34.30 PKR 9,501

71.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

40.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$40.71 PKR 11.3K

150.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$128 PKR 35.4K

732.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$78.1 PKR 21.6K

748.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$250 PKR 69.4K

654.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$151 PKR 41.7K

581.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$994 PKR 275.4K

320.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$591 PKR 163.8K

183.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.08

-16.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mardan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $128 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $85.0 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 236% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $750 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $128 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $75.2 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 258% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $500 in Mardan versus $1,681 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 236% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.