Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mayari

For one person, living is cheaper in Mayari: $1,527 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Mayari
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Mayari Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Mayari

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mayari

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,527 in Mayari.

Medellin $1,625
Mayari $1,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $2,445 in Mayari.

Medellin $2,412
Mayari $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $3,363 in Mayari.

Medellin $3,199
Mayari $3,363

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than in Mayari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Mayari 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$5.98 CUP 144

38.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$20.04 CUP 481

134.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.60 CUP 158

40.00%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.32 CUP 31.60

131.06%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.22 CUP 53.2

-18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.23 CUP 29.44

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.45 CUP 58.9

32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.98 CUP 71.4

86.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$3.00 CUP 71.9

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.79 CUP 18.86

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.55 CUP 61.1

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.20 CUP 76.9

-7.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$6.00 CUP 144

70.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.31 CUP 128

83.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.05 CUP 289

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$5.08 CUP 122

-18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.23 CUP 29.42

24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.38 CUP 33.01

60.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.41 CUP 33.88

60.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.87 CUP 44.92

6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.80 CUP 67.3

-40.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.03 CUP 24.61

14.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.12 CUP 26.94

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.57 CUP 85.7

8.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.91 CUP 238

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.79 CUP 42.98

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.97 CUP 47.31

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.22 CUP 5.24

463.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$19.77 CUP 474

295.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.34 CUP 56.2

-45.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.42 CUP 10.01

411.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$20.11 CUP 483

-58.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.22 CUP 29.39

10.66%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$69.2K CUP 1.7M

-49.74%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$78.6K CUP 1.9M

-55.86%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$35.41 CUP 850

370.63%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$39.39 CUP 945

-65.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$253 CUP 6,061

-88.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$39.73 CUP 954

13.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$15.19 CUP 364

13.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$0.99 CUP 23.67

604.04%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$118 CUP 2,844

566.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$17.5K CUP 420.3K

-48.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$54.2 CUP 1,301

61.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$40.80 CUP 979

42.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$44.94 CUP 1,079

209.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$49.95 CUP 1,199

97.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$215 CUP 5,157

378.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$683 CUP 16.4K

-9.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$389 CUP 9,347

382.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,753 CUP 42.1K

-42.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$400 CUP 9,611

895.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$348 CUP 8,342

389.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$21.44 CUP 515

2993.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mayari: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Mayari

$683 44.8% 10.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Mayari

$248 16.3% 16.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Mayari

$327 21.4% 56.3% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Mayari

$85 5.6% 50.5% $87

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Mayari

$115 7.6% 32.4% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Mayari

$25 1.6% 73.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Mayari

$42 2.7% 29.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $215 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2994% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $248 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇺 Mayari

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

29,259

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Mayari 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mayari

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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayari wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mayari the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2994% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $215 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mayari – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,527 in Mayari – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,527 in Mayari versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mayari but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mayari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mayari delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,527 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mayari hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mayari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.