Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Midlands

For one person, living is cheaper in Midlands: $623 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Midlands, Mauritius
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Midlands
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$623
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Midlands

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $623 in Midlands, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Midlands $623

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,044 in Midlands, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Midlands $1,044

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,465 in Midlands, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Midlands $1,465

Medellin costs about 163% more than Midlands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Midlands is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$5.77 MUR 269
40.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$38.11 MUR 1,775
23.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.41 MUR 345
28.21%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$2.63 MUR 122
14.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.19 MUR 55.3
51.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$0.64 MUR 29.67
120.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$2.73 MUR 127
16.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$4.86 MUR 227
18.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.61 MUR 75.1
-6.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$0.73 MUR 33.99
226.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.10 MUR 51.2
60.91%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$2.57 MUR 119
12.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$5.38 MUR 251
89.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$6.27 MUR 292
57.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$11.11 MUR 518
25.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.78 MUR 130
42.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$2.68 MUR 125
-42.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.39 MUR 64.9
56.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$3.00 MUR 140
-27.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$0.94 MUR 43.60
108.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.01 MUR 46.82
57.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$0.75 MUR 35.07
53.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.86 MUR 40.07
44.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.64 MUR 309
-40.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$8.24 MUR 384
66.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.72 MUR 80.0
-3.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$2.39 MUR 112
-5.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$4.30 MUR 200
-70.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$3.27 MUR 152
-37.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$20.93 MUR 975
-59.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.37 MUR 63.7
-1.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$36.0K MUR 1.7M
-5.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$31.3K MUR 1.5M
10.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$44.87 MUR 2,090
278.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$10.80 MUR 503
25.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$28.85 MUR 1,344
-2.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$6.36 MUR 296
8.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$125 MUR 5,839
535.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$7,801 MUR 363.4K
16.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$76.9 MUR 3,584
10.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$73.1 MUR 3,406
-20.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$121 MUR 5,659
11.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$76.8 MUR 3,575
27.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Midlands
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.67
64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Midlands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Midlands
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Midlands
$217 26.8% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Midlands
$85 60% $127
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Midlands
$131 23% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Midlands
$157 7.2% $12
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Midlands
$21 * 77.9% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Midlands
$13 * 77.9% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $38 in Midlands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $217 – making Midlands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇺 Midlands
🕒 Local time
15:15 3:15 PM
00:15 12:15 AM
9 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
4,546
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Midlands 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Midlands

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 Midlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Midlands cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $934 in Midlands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Midlands?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $38 in Midlands. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Midlands?
Groceries cost about 37% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Midlands?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Midlands, where all-in costs run around $623, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Midlands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Midlands?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $623 in Midlands to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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