Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pathein

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathein: $1,019 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Pathein

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pathein

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,019 in Pathein, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Pathein $1,019

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,843 in Pathein, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Pathein $1,843

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,666 in Pathein, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Pathein $2,666

Medellin costs about 61% more than Pathein, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pathein is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$1.54 MMK 3,223

425.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$20.05 MMK 42.0K

134.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.08 MMK 16.9K

17.57%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.53 MMK 3,210

96.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.52 MMK 1,098

246.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.52 MMK 1,092

171.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.53 MMK 3,211

107.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.02 MMK 2,129

463.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.52 MMK 3,178

56.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.93 MMK 6,133

-39.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.39 MMK 5,000

20.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$40.69 MMK 85.2K

-74.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$5.91 MMK 12.4K

67.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.98 MMK 16.7K

75.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$9.83 MMK 20.6K

-59.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$10.05 MMK 21.0K

-78.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.88 MMK 10.2K

-55.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$4.09 MMK 8,555

-52.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.96 MMK 4,102

-18.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.51 MMK 1,073

125.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.94 MMK 6,151

34.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$19.73 MMK 41.3K

-30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.54 MMK 3,218

7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.05 MMK 4,299

10.24%

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

$0.98 MMK 2,043

109.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$2.97 MMK 6,214

187.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.95 MMK 4,091

-30.77%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$32.3K MMK 67.7M

5.41%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$31.4K MMK 65.7M

10.47%

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

$19.80 MMK 41.5K

-31.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$10.03 MMK 21.0K

179.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$151 MMK 315.1K

-70.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$2.03 MMK 4,247

240.39%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$395 MMK 827.0K

101.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,846 MMK 10.1M

88.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$19.85 MMK 41.6K

326.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$15.17 MMK 31.8K

282.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$49.73 MMK 104.1K

171.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$59.4 MMK 124.4K

64.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$406 MMK 850.2K

197.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$301 MMK 629.3K

113.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,079 MMK 2.3M

87.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,014 MMK 2.1M

-0.25%

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 Pathein: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Pathein

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Pathein

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Pathein

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Pathein

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Pathein

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Pathein

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Pathein

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $406 in Pathein. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $20 in Pathein. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $395 in Pathein – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇲 Pathein

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

315,600

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.29 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, 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).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,331 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.29 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Pathein 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pathein

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 Pathein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,528 in Pathein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pathein, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 in Pathein. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,019 in Pathein, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pathein – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.