Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mayari Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mayari

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,897 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,298 in Mayari.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 31% less than in Mayari, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Mayari is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$6.07 CUP 146

1.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$19.63 CUP 471

66.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.44 CUP 155

13.98%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.33 CUP 31.96

29.32%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$2.14 CUP 51.3

-50.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.22 CUP 29.19

-36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.51 CUP 60.2

-32.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.92 CUP 70.1

8.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.89 CUP 69.3

-63.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.79 CUP 18.87

64.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.54 CUP 61.0

-44.88%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$3.06 CUP 73.4

-29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.89 CUP 141

-25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.36 CUP 129

9.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$11.86 CUP 285

-27.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$4.87 CUP 117

-53.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.17 CUP 28.16

-5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.44 CUP 34.54

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.49 CUP 35.72

-9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.88 CUP 45.07

-39.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$2.91 CUP 69.8

-61.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.02 CUP 24.53

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.13 CUP 27.11

-19.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.54 CUP 85.0

-33.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.89 CUP 237

25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.78 CUP 42.70

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.97 CUP 47.29

26.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.20 CUP 4.69

320.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$20.22 CUP 485

100.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.32 CUP 55.6

-38.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.39 CUP 9.26

392.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$19.72 CUP 473

-61.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.24 CUP 29.65

-20.16%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$70.0K CUP 1.7M

-74.23%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$79.5K CUP 1.9M

-66.50%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$35.37 CUP 849

128.47%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$40.17 CUP 964

-75.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$251 CUP 6,021

-90.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$40.34 CUP 968

-37.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$14.78 CUP 355

29.57%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$1.02 CUP 24.43

290.20%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$117 CUP 2,815

160.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$17.5K CUP 419.3K

-65.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$55.3 CUP 1,327

5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$40.62 CUP 975

-20.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$45.47 CUP 1,091

121.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$50.8 CUP 1,220

111.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$210 CUP 5,034

127.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$680 CUP 16.3K

-44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$386 CUP 9,253

119.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$694 CUP 16.7K

5.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$403 CUP 9,660

698.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$349 CUP 8,368

293.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$21.74 CUP 522

2737.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mayari: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $210 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2737% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Mayari. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $246, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2737% higher in Medellin, 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: $477 in Medellin versus $210 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $1,496 in Mayari – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,496 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.