Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mazar-i-Sharif Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mazar-i-Sharif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $652 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $827 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,001 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Medellin is roughly 55% more expensive than Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.18 ؋139

174.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$14.10 ؋895

133.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.28 ؋208

116.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ؋229

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 ؋448

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.15 ؋73.3

48.70%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.52 ؋33.20

111.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.25 ؋15.70

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.55 ؋34.95

98.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.20 ؋12.48

530.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.56 ؋99.2

-11.54%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.55 ؋98.7

41.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.11 ؋325

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.70 ؋235

52.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$5.26 ؋334

69.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$0.56 ؋35.62

317.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.94 ؋60.0

12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.71 ؋45.34

111.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.56 ؋35.61

146.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.46 ؋29.51

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.36 ؋22.82

222.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.41 ؋26.05

117.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.28 ؋17.57

200.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋118

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ؋71.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.18 ؋75.0

93.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.48 ؋30.42

79.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$21.66 ؋1,375

91.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.73 ؋46.37

101.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.33 ؋84.3

47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.40 ؋88.9

452.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.11 ؋70.7

-14.41%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$9,996 ؋634.8K

81.38%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$41.0K ؋2.6M

-35.47%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$110 ؋7,012

-25.51%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$15.56 ؋988

-38.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$290 ؋18.4K

-91.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$10.90 ؋692

137.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$3.52 ؋224

439.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.24 ؋269

-7.31%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$28.98 ؋1,840

967.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$12.20 ؋775

380.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$17.29 ؋1,098

527.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$85.0 ؋5,396

460.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$43.37 ؋2,754

773.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$146 ؋9,245

475.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$70.5 ؋4,478

926.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$242 ؋15.4K

111.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $85.0 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 111% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $91.0 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 111% 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 $85.0 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $652 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.