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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,531 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,417 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,303 in Mayari.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than in Mayari, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Mayari 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.1K

$6.16 CUP 148

30.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 150.7K

$19.82 CUP 476

143.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.4K

$6.54 CUP 157

44.04%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,169

$1.28 CUP 30.69

129.69%

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

$1.86 COP 5,817

$2.24 CUP 53.7

-16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,543

$1.22 CUP 29.38

19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 10.0K

$2.43 CUP 58.3

32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.8K

$3.07 CUP 73.6

85.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,491

$2.91 CUP 69.9

-50.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,494

$0.78 CUP 18.84

207.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,302

$2.44 CUP 58.6

-30.33%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,022

$3.16 CUP 75.9

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.4K

$5.78 CUP 139

74.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.1K

$5.40 CUP 130

84.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.3K

$11.85 CUP 284

19.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$4.86 CUP 117

-18.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,947

$1.23 CUP 29.42

28.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,718

$1.36 CUP 32.64

58.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,178

$1.42 CUP 34.19

61.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,257

$1.92 CUP 46.12

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$2.78 CUP 66.8

-45.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,754

$0.97 CUP 23.35

23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,002

$1.12 CUP 26.78

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 12.0K

$3.49 CUP 83.7

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.85 CUP 236

42.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,331

$1.73 CUP 41.64

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,560

$2.00 CUP 47.94

37.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,888

$0.17 CUP 4.13

635.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 243.1K

$20.17 CUP 484

286.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,073

$2.31 CUP 55.5

-43.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,775

$0.39 CUP 9.35

456.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.9K

$20.04 CUP 481

-58.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,231

$1.24 CUP 29.71

9.68%

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

$27.5K COP 85.7M

$68.8K CUP 1.7M

-60.05%

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

$36.5K COP 114.0M

$80.9K CUP 1.9M

-54.85%

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

$169 COP 526.6K

$35.59 CUP 854

374.07%

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

$13.57 COP 42.4K

$39.23 CUP 942

-65.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 88.4K

$255 CUP 6,118

-88.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 142.7K

$39.31 CUP 943

16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.8K

$15.20 CUP 365

13.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.8K

$1.01 CUP 24.29

558.42%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$119 CUP 2,862

573.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.7M

$17.4K CUP 417.5K

-47.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 272.7K

$55.5 CUP 1,333

57.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 185.3K

$40.36 CUP 969

47.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 433.6K

$45.06 CUP 1,081

208.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.5K

$50.8 CUP 1,218

101.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$211 CUP 5,053

408.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$675 CUP 16.2K

-3.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$379 CUP 9,099

407.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$1,763 CUP 42.3K

-40.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.9M

$402 CUP 9,638

926.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$356 CUP 8,548

376.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$21.95 CUP 527

2884.15%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mayari: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $211 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2884% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $244 per month, with Mayari 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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mayari wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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 2884% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $211 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 $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,531 in Mayari – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,531 in Mayari versus $1,641 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 $1,531 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 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.