Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Lerdo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Lerdo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,133 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,783 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Ciudad Lerdo is roughly 10% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Lerdo 15% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 MX$180

$5.92 COP 21.2K

75.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 MX$669

$33.17 COP 118.7K

16.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$139

$7.25 COP 25.9K

10.76%

Cappuccino

$3.21 MX$55.6

$1.71 COP 6,137

87.72%

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

$1.24 MX$21.43

$1.09 COP 3,915

13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.50

$0.77 COP 2,743

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$42.24

$1.75 COP 6,254

39.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$69.4

$3.18 COP 11.4K

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.55

$1.06 COP 3,792

33.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$44.91

$1.30 COP 4,657

99.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.16

$1.38 COP 4,926

13.77%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$41.76

$2.21 COP 7,908

9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 MX$143

$4.52 COP 16.2K

82.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$138

$5.80 COP 20.7K

37.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 MX$180

$8.97 COP 32.1K

16.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.51

$2.29 COP 8,182

12.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.99

$1.06 COP 3,791

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.93

$1.51 COP 5,411

14.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.36 COP 4,869

15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.13

$1.16 COP 4,146

59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.51

$1.17 COP 4,174

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.52

$0.83 COP 2,960

49.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.95

$0.85 COP 3,043

15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.8

$2.35 COP 8,423

76.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$193

$11.09 COP 39.7K

0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.67

$1.15 COP 4,133

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$49.63

$2.47 COP 8,853

15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.16

$0.79 COP 2,827

-18.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.02 MX$226

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-68.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$45.84

$1.44 COP 5,140

84.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.47

$1.90 COP 6,793

-16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.36 MX$145

$7.70 COP 27.6K

8.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.71

$1.03 COP 3,680

21.36%

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

$21.3K MX$370.0K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

20.74%

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

$22.2K MX$385.5K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-17.67%

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

$56.5 MX$980

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-30.56%

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

$22.20 MX$385

$9.42 COP 33.7K

135.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 MX$480

$23.77 COP 85.1K

16.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.18 MX$627

$25.86 COP 92.6K

39.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 MX$273

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-18.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MX$82.6

$4.05 COP 14.5K

17.78%

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

$207 MX$3,580

$312 COP 1.1M

-33.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,622 MX$62.8K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

-40.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$927

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-9.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$699

$32.82 COP 117.5K

22.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 MX$1,555

$100 COP 359.6K

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 MX$1,348

$106 COP 380.3K

-26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,719

$490 COP 1.8M

2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MX$6,785

$371 COP 1.3M

5.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 MX$16.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

12.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.4K

$715 COP 2.6M

7.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,964 MX$34.0K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-33.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,293 MX$22.4K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-7.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 MX$3,984

$532 COP 1.9M

-56.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: April 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Ciudad Lerdo and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 131% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39 in Ciudad Lerdo vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Ciudad Lerdo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 131% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 221% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $207 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,133 in Ciudad Lerdo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ciudad Lerdo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,030 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.