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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,524 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,914 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,305 in Mayari.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 34% less than in Mayari, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Mayari is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.16 CUP 148

-2.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$19.96 CUP 479

64.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.32 CUP 152

12.18%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.29 CUP 30.90

32.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$2.16 CUP 51.8

-49.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.23 CUP 29.48

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.45 CUP 58.8

-31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.06 CUP 73.4

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.89 CUP 69.4

-62.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.84 CUP 20.08

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$2.51 CUP 60.3

-45.02%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-29.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.97 CUP 143

-26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.35 CUP 128

5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$11.67 CUP 280

-23.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$5.14 CUP 123

-54.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.23 CUP 29.51

-13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.37 CUP 32.79

9.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.47 CUP 35.23

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.92 CUP 45.98

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.82 CUP 67.6

-58.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.97 CUP 23.33

-8.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.08 CUP 26.00

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.56 CUP 85.4

-35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$10.18 CUP 244

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.77 CUP 42.51

-32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.98 CUP 47.53

24.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.18 CUP 4.44

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$19.93 CUP 478

107.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.34 CUP 56.2

-37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.39 CUP 9.35

402.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$19.99 CUP 480

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.21 CUP 29.15

-21.49%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

-74.01%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$81.1K CUP 1.9M

-67.33%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$34.42 CUP 826

138.96%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$40.04 CUP 961

-76.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$247 CUP 5,924

-90.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$40.06 CUP 961

-35.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$15.24 CUP 366

24.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$0.98 CUP 23.58

301.02%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$118 CUP 2,834

161.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$17.5K CUP 420.5K

-65.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$54.7 CUP 1,313

7.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$40.30 CUP 967

-19.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$44.34 CUP 1,064

131.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$50.1 CUP 1,202

116.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$212 CUP 5,093

124.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$667 CUP 16.0K

-43.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$376 CUP 9,019

123.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$685 CUP 16.4K

5.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$397 CUP 9,524

603.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$354 CUP 8,504

241.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$21.32 CUP 512

2300.47%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mayari: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $212 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2300% 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 $188 vs $247, 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 50% 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.

Medellin pays 2300% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $212 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 $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $1,524 in Mayari – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,524 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 $1,013 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 50% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.