Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Louis: $945 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Port Louis
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$945
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Louis and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Louis and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Port Louis vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Port Louis $945
  • Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $1,579 per month in Port Louis vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Port Louis $1,579
  • Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $2,212 per month in Port Louis vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Port Louis $2,212
  • Medellin $3,139

Port Louis is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Louis sits 29% below the global median, while Medellin is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.65 MUR 268
$8.01 COP 25.8K
-29.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.50 MUR 1,776
$46.55 COP 149.9K
-19.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.21 MUR 342
$9.43 COP 30.4K
-23.54%
Cappuccino
$2.55 MUR 121
$2.91 COP 9,374
-12.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 MUR 52.6
$1.75 COP 5,643
-36.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 MUR 29.22
$1.32 COP 4,263
-53.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 MUR 121
$3.13 COP 10.1K
-18.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.83 MUR 229
$5.55 COP 17.9K
-12.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 MUR 71.7
$1.41 COP 4,542
7.09%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 MUR 36.78
$2.44 COP 7,858
-68.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 MUR 54.1
$1.63 COP 5,245
-30.06%
Eggs
$2.50 MUR 119
$2.82 COP 9,084
-11.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.24 MUR 248
$9.69 COP 31.2K
-45.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.23 MUR 295
$9.32 COP 30.0K
-33.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.33 MUR 537
$13.46 COP 43.3K
-15.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.70 MUR 128
$4.00 COP 12.9K
-32.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.56 MUR 121
$1.48 COP 4,768
72.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.42 MUR 67.3
$2.12 COP 6,839
-33.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.00 MUR 142
$2.25 COP 7,253
33.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 MUR 44.22
$1.91 COP 6,155
-51.31%
Onion (1kg)
$0.94 MUR 44.66
$1.62 COP 5,214
-41.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 MUR 34.55
$1.15 COP 3,696
-36.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 MUR 40.15
$1.26 COP 4,063
-32.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.48 MUR 307
$3.82 COP 12.3K
69.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.16 MUR 386
$13.11 COP 42.2K
-37.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 MUR 76.4
$1.60 COP 5,136
0.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 MUR 112
$2.26 COP 7,263
4.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.02 MUR 48.26
$1.17 COP 3,770
-12.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.09 MUR 1,472
$75.0 COP 241.5K
-58.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.24 MUR 201
$1.27 COP 4,098
233.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.16 MUR 150
$2.05 COP 6,600
54.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.17 MUR 1,002
$8.20 COP 26.4K
158.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 MUR 66.3
$1.27 COP 4,088
10.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K MUR 1.7M
$26.8K COP 86.2M
34.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.0K MUR 1.5M
$34.4K COP 110.8M
-9.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$43.83 MUR 2,076
$162 COP 522.3K
-72.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.37 MUR 491
$13.12 COP 42.3K
-20.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.41 MUR 1,345
$28.09 COP 90.5K
1.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.62 MUR 1,214
$44.33 COP 142.7K
-42.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.88 MUR 184
$16.33 COP 52.6K
-76.24%
Cinema Ticket
$6.20 MUR 294
$6.09 COP 19.6K
1.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$125 MUR 5,937
$764 COP 2.5M
-83.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,687 MUR 364.1K
$8,904 COP 28.7M
-13.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.2 MUR 3,611
$85.0 COP 273.6K
-10.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$73.4 MUR 3,475
$57.5 COP 185.1K
27.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 MUR 5,574
$132 COP 424.2K
-10.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.4 MUR 3,667
$95.8 COP 308.3K
-19.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$465 MUR 22.0K
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-54.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$269 MUR 12.7K
$604 COP 1.9M
-55.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$761 MUR 36.0K
$1,802 COP 5.8M
-57.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$588 MUR 27.8K
$993 COP 3.2M
-40.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,109 MUR 194.6K
$3,921 COP 12.6M
4.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,047 MUR 49.6K
$1,639 COP 5.3M
-36.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Louis
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$670 MUR 31.7K
$626 COP 2.0M
7.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
10.94
-39.03%

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

Last update for Port Louis: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Louis
$269
Medellin
$604 125% $336
Groceries & Markets
Port Louis
$215
Medellin
$288 34.3% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Port Louis
$155
Medellin
$166 7.3% $11
Eating Out
Port Louis
$127
Medellin
$166 31.2% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Louis
$83
Medellin
$203 146% $121
Getting Around
Port Louis
$55
Medellin
$91 65.3% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Port Louis
$38
Medellin
$57 48.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $465 in Port Louis versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 7% higher in Port Louis, 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 $37.00 in Port Louis versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $288 – making Port Louis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇺 Port Louis
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
10:45 10:45 AM
01:45 1:45 AM
9 h behind Port Louis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
147,688 Capital
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 47.36 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 53.12 MUR (100 MUR = 1.88 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Louis Medellin 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Louis
  • Medellin

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
Port Louis vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Port Louis?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 68%, 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 $1,418 per month in Port Louis and $2,384 in Medellin. 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 Port Louis, 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 Port Louis or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Port Louis and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Port Louis and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Port Louis and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 68%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Port Louis or in Medellin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Louis, where all-in costs run around $945, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Port Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Port Louis or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Port Louis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Port Louis or Medellin?
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 Port Louis. 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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