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: $1,129 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,408 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Ciudad Lerdo is roughly 11% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Lerdo 16% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 MX$182

$5.99 COP 21.5K

73.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.77 MX$677

$32.86 COP 118.1K

17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 MX$141

$7.09 COP 25.5K

14.10%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$57.9

$1.71 COP 6,154

94.15%

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

$1.22 MX$21.35

$1.10 COP 3,949

10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.79

$0.78 COP 2,798

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MX$40.46

$1.68 COP 6,035

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$70.0

$3.07 COP 11.0K

30.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.18

$1.09 COP 3,930

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.81

$1.26 COP 4,536

107.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.41

$1.38 COP 4,953

13.77%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.47

$2.19 COP 7,876

8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 MX$139

$4.40 COP 15.8K

80.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 MX$140

$5.63 COP 20.2K

42.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 MX$186

$8.89 COP 32.0K

19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$45.18

$2.34 COP 8,401

10.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.34

$1.06 COP 3,801

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.91

$1.50 COP 5,408

14.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.91

$1.38 COP 4,955

15.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.99

$1.15 COP 4,137

59.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.04

$1.16 COP 4,181

68.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$21.95

$0.89 COP 3,202

41.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.65

$0.84 COP 3,016

20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.6

$2.28 COP 8,196

79.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 MX$196

$10.64 COP 38.2K

5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.26

$1.20 COP 4,311

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MX$47.75

$2.47 COP 8,880

10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.48

$0.86 COP 3,075

-30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.31 MX$233

$41.40 COP 148.8K

-67.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.47 COP 5,297

72.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.86

$1.96 COP 7,053

-18.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 MX$143

$7.74 COP 27.8K

5.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.32

$0.95 COP 3,430

34.74%

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

$21.6K MX$376.7K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

18.98%

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

$22.4K MX$391.2K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-15.43%

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

$56.9 MX$994

$82.3 COP 295.6K

-30.78%

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

$21.83 MX$381

$9.50 COP 34.1K

129.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.52 MX$498

$24.23 COP 87.1K

17.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 MX$631

$25.89 COP 93.0K

39.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.08 MX$281

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-15.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.6

$3.93 COP 14.1K

16.03%

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

$205 MX$3,585

$309 COP 1.1M

-33.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,629 MX$63.4K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MX$919

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.04 MX$682

$32.35 COP 116.2K

20.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MX$1,576

$103 COP 368.7K

-12.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MX$1,383

$108 COP 389.6K

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 MX$8,838

$476 COP 1.7M

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MX$7,059

$379 COP 1.4M

6.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 MX$16.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 MX$13.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

3.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 MX$35.6K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-26.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 MX$22.2K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

5.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$228 MX$3,984

$512 COP 1.8M

-55.42%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Ciudad Lerdo and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ciudad Lerdo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $188 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 11% 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 124% 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: $506 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $476 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 211% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $205 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,129 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 $1,013 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 11% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.