Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Toliara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $174 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Toliara

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $174 in Toliara, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Toliara $174

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $261 in Toliara, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Toliara $261

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $349 in Toliara, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Toliara $349

Medellin costs about 841% more than Toliara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Toliara is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.72 MGA 7,855

370.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$0.78 MGA 3,585

285.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.67 MGA 3,082

168.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.42 MGA 6,505

6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$0.41 MGA 1,871

331.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.08 MGA 9,499

38.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.69 MGA 21.5K

110.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

183.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$0.68 MGA 3,120

127.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.68 MGA 7,685

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$0.52 MGA 2,372

276.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.67 MGA 3,071

85.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.80 MGA 8,253

120.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$5.48 MGA 25.1K

149.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.63 MGA 2,877

163.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.7K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$16.30 MGA 74.6K

-16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$33.49 MGA 153.3K

-16.18%

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

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

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

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 Toliara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Toliara

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Toliara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Toliara

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Toliara

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Toliara

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Toliara

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Toliara

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇬 Toliara

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

18:59 6:59 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

168,756

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Toliara 13,270 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Toliara

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 Toliara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 841%, 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 $261 in Toliara. 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 $174 in Toliara. That makes Toliara about 89% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 201% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Toliara, where all-in costs run around $174, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Toliara 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 $174 in Toliara to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.