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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $668 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $844 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,020 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.22 ؋146

177.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$14.21 ؋934

129.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.32 ؋218

121.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ؋236

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 ؋470

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.11 ؋73.2

54.95%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.52 ؋34.48

101.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.27 ؋17.88

185.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.55 ؋36.05

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.20 ؋13.08

550.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.62 ؋107

-13.58%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.60 ؋105

35.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.05 ؋332

-13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.68 ؋242

59.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$5.45 ؋359

58.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$0.54 ؋35.44

322.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.93 ؋61.0

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.74 ؋48.39

106.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.57 ؋37.45

136.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.46 ؋30.48

145.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.39 ؋25.34

189.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.39 ؋25.35

117.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.28 ؋18.31

225.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.78 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ؋26.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ؋77.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$1.17 ؋76.7

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.52 ؋34.47

61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$21.27 ؋1,398

90.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.70 ؋46.12

102.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.37 ؋90.2

40.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$1.41 ؋92.5

443.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.15 ؋75.3

-13.91%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$10.0K ؋660.6K

79.41%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$40.0K ؋2.6M

-33.43%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$109 ؋7,151

-25.72%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$15.86 ؋1,042

-37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$282 ؋18.5K

-91.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$10.88 ؋715

130.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$3.53 ؋232

442.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.38 ؋288

-9.13%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$28.45 ؋1,870

972.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$12.03 ؋791

383.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$17.09 ؋1,123

530.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$85.2 ؋5,600

459.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$43.01 ؋2,827

774.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$145 ؋9,558

480.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$70.8 ؋4,652

932.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$229 ؋15.0K

169.83%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $85.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 170% 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 $193 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 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 170% 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 $85.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% 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 $668 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,031 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 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.