Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mataram

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataram: $605 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Mataram
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Mataram Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Mataram

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mataram

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $605 in Mataram.

Medellin $1,639
Mataram $605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $977 in Mataram.

Medellin $2,413
Mataram $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,348 in Mataram.

Medellin $3,186
Mataram $1,348

Living in Medellin is roughly 171% more expensive than in Mataram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Mataram is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

709.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$8.82 Rp 159.8K

433.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

193.21%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

96.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.46 Rp 8,344

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.30 Rp 5,390

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.68 Rp 48.5K

18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

71.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.37 Rp 24.9K

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

110.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

107.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.07 Rp 146.3K

26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$2.85 Rp 51.7K

246.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$7.47 Rp 135.4K

87.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

92.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.18 Rp 21.3K

31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

42.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

75.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.17 Rp 39.4K

-26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

45.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.39 Rp 7,106

217.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.60 Rp 47.2K

52.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$21.31 Rp 386.1K

-35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$3.12 Rp 56.6K

-27.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.21 Rp 3,809

457.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$11.53 Rp 209.0K

571.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.49 Rp 8,897

159.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.37 Rp 6,626

454.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.80 Rp 50.7K

205.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

136.84%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$22.9K Rp 415.3M

48.62%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$29.7K Rp 538.7M

16.62%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$57.9 Rp 1.0M

192.95%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$3.75 Rp 67.9K

261.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$18.52 Rp 335.6K

51.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$18.47 Rp 334.6K

136.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$7.43 Rp 134.6K

131.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.73 Rp 49.5K

153.11%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

708.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$8,614 Rp 156.1M

5.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$40.36 Rp 731.4K

109.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$28.06 Rp 508.4K

106.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$74.8 Rp 1.4M

80.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$69.9 Rp 1.3M

39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$228 Rp 4.1M

429.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$130 Rp 2.4M

394.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$516 Rp 9.3M

293.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$371 Rp 6.7M

172.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,170 Rp 21.2M

256.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$752 Rp 13.6M

153.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$217 Rp 3.9M

203.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.46

15.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mataram: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Mataram

$130 21.4% 79.8% $512

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Mataram

$202 33.4% 32% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Mataram

$80 13.2% 62% $131

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Mataram

$59 9.8% 65.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Mataram

$96 15.8% 43.2% $73

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Mataram

$15 2.4% 84.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Mataram

$24 4% 58.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $228 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $9 in Mataram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $202 per month, with Mataram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Mataram

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

08:07 8:07 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

402,843

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Mataram 18,700 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mataram

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 Mataram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $605 in Mataram, so Mataram is about 63% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $228 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataram – a meal for two runs $9 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $605 in Mataram versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mataram but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mataram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.