Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Piliyandala

For one person, living is cheaper in Piliyandala: $580 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Piliyandala
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Piliyandala Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$580

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Piliyandala

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $580 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Piliyandala $580

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $917 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Piliyandala $917

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,253 in Piliyandala, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Piliyandala $1,253

Medellin costs about 192% more than Piliyandala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Piliyandala is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$3.06 LKR 1,017

172.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$12.26 LKR 4,078

279.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$7.64 LKR 2,541

23.95%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.57 LKR 856

21.79%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.73 LKR 243

142.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.27 LKR 90.6

425.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.25 LKR 749

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.05 LKR 1,014

86.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.58 LKR 526

-3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.56 LKR 187

308.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.81 LKR 268

139.51%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.71 LKR 568

79.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$15.09 LKR 5,019

-33.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.94 LKR 1,643

111.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$7.65 LKR 2,544

82.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$6.52 LKR 2,168

-37.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.82 LKR 273

86.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$4.27 LKR 1,420

-50.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.28 LKR 424

78.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.07 LKR 357

97.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.83 LKR 275

106.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.25 LKR 415

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.45 LKR 150

251.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$10.38 LKR 3,452

-62.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$13.32 LKR 4,430

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$1.87 LKR 623

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.92 LKR 971

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.37 LKR 123

218.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.41 LKR 136

341.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.31 LKR 105

587.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$0.87 LKR 291

834.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.34 LKR 445

-4.48%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$42.9K LKR 14.3M

-19.63%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$46.2K LKR 15.4M

-26.09%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$55.9 LKR 18.6K

218.06%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$4.25 LKR 1,413

226.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$20.79 LKR 6,914

47.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$4.48 LKR 1,491

66.74%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

1831.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

-28.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$17.85 LKR 5,937

383.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$17.46 LKR 5,806

239.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$77.9 LKR 25.9K

77.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$41.22 LKR 13.7K

139.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$107 LKR 35.6K

1153.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$75.2 LKR 25.0K

787.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$253 LKR 84.0K

681.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$181 LKR 60.1K

471.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$302 LKR 100.3K

114.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.5

-12.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Piliyandala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Piliyandala

$75 13% 88.7% $592

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Piliyandala

$243 41.8% 21.1% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Piliyandala

$81 14% 63.6% $141

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Piliyandala

$100 17.2% 42.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Piliyandala

$70 12% 59.6% $103

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Piliyandala

$3.5 * 0.6% 96.3% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Piliyandala

$9 * 1.6% 84.2% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $107 in Piliyandala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.1 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $12 in Piliyandala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $243 – making Piliyandala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇰 Piliyandala

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Piliyandala 16,940 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Piliyandala

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 Piliyandala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 192%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $870 in Piliyandala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Piliyandala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $107 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 in Piliyandala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Piliyandala, where all-in costs run around $580, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Piliyandala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Piliyandala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.