Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Moratuwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Moratuwa: $131 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Moratuwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Moratuwa

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $131 in Moratuwa, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Moratuwa $131

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $211 in Moratuwa, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Moratuwa $211

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $291 in Moratuwa, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Moratuwa $291

Medellin costs about 1149% more than Moratuwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Moratuwa is 90% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.84 LKR 611

63.59%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.71 LKR 234

153.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.15 LKR 49.28

840.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.85 LKR 616

71.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.46 LKR 816

133.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.25 LKR 417

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.46 LKR 154

417.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$0.82 LKR 272

115.85%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.36 LKR 785

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$12.27 LKR 4,078

-16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.46 LKR 154

236.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$4.44 LKR 1,475

205.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$15.01 LKR 4,989

191.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$3.08 LKR 1,024

458.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$6.05 LKR 2,013

858.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Moratuwa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Moratuwa

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Moratuwa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Moratuwa

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Moratuwa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Moratuwa

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Moratuwa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Moratuwa

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Moratuwa

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

04:25 4:25 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

207,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Moratuwa 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Moratuwa

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 Moratuwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $197 in Moratuwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $131 in Moratuwa. That makes Moratuwa about 92% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 328% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Moratuwa, where all-in costs run around $131, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Moratuwa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $131 in Moratuwa to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.