Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Mlava: $1,401 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Mlava
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,401
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mlava

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,401 in Mlava, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Mlava $1,401

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,989 in Mlava, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Mlava $1,989

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,577 in Mlava, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Mlava $2,577

Medellin costs about 16% more than Mlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Mlava sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Mlava by 3%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$10.04 zł 39.02
-17.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$25.85 zł 100
81.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$7.68 zł 29.86
20.31%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$2.50 zł 9.70
22.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$1.85 zł 7.21
-2.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.63 zł 6.34
-15.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$2.57 zł 10.00
26.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$3.73 zł 14.49
49.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.04 zł 4.06
44.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.66 zł 6.44
42.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$0.91 zł 3.53
86.81%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$3.82 zł 14.84
-22.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$8.77 zł 34.07
16.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$7.15 zł 27.77
36.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$11.70 zł 45.44
18.80%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$1.36 zł 5.27
203.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.68 zł 6.52
-8.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$1.60 zł 6.23
38.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.20 zł 12.42
-29.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$0.97 zł 3.78
105.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.36 zł 5.29
22.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.10 zł 4.27
7.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.65 zł 2.53
90.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$4.80 zł 18.66
-19.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$6.39 zł 24.82
115.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$1.05 zł 4.07
58.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$1.41 zł 5.48
70.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$1.09 zł 4.22
13.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$30.12 zł 117
159.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$2.13 zł 8.28
-39.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$0.84 zł 3.27
155.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$9.89 zł 38.41
-15.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.60 zł 6.23
-15.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$30.9K zł 120.1K
12.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$27.7K zł 107.6K
25.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$278 zł 1,081
-40.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$6.20 zł 24.09
119.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$7.53 zł 29.27
286.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$37.75 zł 147
19.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$22.24 zł 86.4
-22.75%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$5.06 zł 19.66
37.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$328 zł 1,273
141.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$5,091 zł 19.8K
77.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$81.4 zł 316
7.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$36.08 zł 140
61.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$89.1 zł 346
55.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$76.4 zł 297
29.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$600 zł 2,332
71.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$505 zł 1,961
22.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$987 zł 3,833
90.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$805 zł 3,130
25.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$2,950 zł 11.5K
35.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$2,201 zł 8,550
-22.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Mlava
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$1,021 zł 3,967
-35.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.89
58.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mlava: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Mlava
$505 18.5% $115
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Mlava
$221 25.8% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Mlava
$292 39.4% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Mlava
$127 26.3% $45
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Mlava
$168 1.8% $3.2
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Mlava
$41 57.1% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Mlava
$48 18.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $600 in Mlava. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Mlava, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Mlava. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $221 – making Mlava the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇵🇱 Mlava
🕒 Local time
18:29 6:29 PM
01:29 1:29 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
31,130
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Mlava 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Mlava

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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mlava cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 16%, 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 $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,102 in Mlava. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mlava, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Mlava?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Mlava. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Mlava?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,401 in Mlava. That's a gap of about 16%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Mlava?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mlava, where all-in costs run around $1,401, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Mlava it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Mlava more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mlava – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Mlava?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mlava. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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