Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $468 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $468 in Mary.

Medellin $1,625
Mary $468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $710 in Mary.

Medellin $2,412
Mary $710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $951 in Mary.

Medellin $3,199
Mary $951

Living in Medellin is roughly 247% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Mary is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$11.49 TMT 38.59

-27.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.49 TMT 28.51

8.83%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$8.38 TMT 28.17

-63.60%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$12.61 TMT 42.36

-85.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.40 TMT 4.71

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$14.55 TMT 48.90

-77.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$11.63 TMT 39.07

-52.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.91 TMT 9.78

-48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$6.95 TMT 23.34

-57.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.22 TMT 7.45

86.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.45 TMT 4.88

56.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.95 TMT 6.56

2.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.70 TMT 5.70

-1.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.16 TMT 3.88

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$16.79 TMT 56.4

-76.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$212 TMT 712

213.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 213% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

22:58 10:58 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

123,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.78 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Mary 13,440 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 247% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $468 in Mary – a 247% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $468 in Mary versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $468 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mary hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mary are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.