Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derna and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $172 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$172

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Derna 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 Derna and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $172 per month in Derna vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Derna $172
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $335 per month in Derna vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Derna $335
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $497 per month in Derna vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Derna $497
Medellin $3,199

Derna is about 89% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 LYD 24.32

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-54.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.73 LYD 49.56

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-83.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 LYD 20.50

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-65.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 LYD 4.06

Cappuccino

$0.48 LYD 3.09

$3.05 COP 9,676

-84.26%

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

$0.32 LYD 2.08

$1.80 COP 5,707

-82.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 LYD 4.77

$1.50 COP 4,760

-50.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 LYD 15.00

$1.70 COP 5,377

37.65%

Eggs

$0.89 LYD 5.71

$2.96 COP 9,379

-69.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 LYD 19.74

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-68.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LYD 4.79

$1.53 COP 4,839

-50.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 LYD 6.02

$2.22 COP 7,052

-57.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 LYD 5.24

$1.28 COP 4,044

-35.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.18 LYD 90.9

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-51.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.15 LYD 200

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-64.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 LYD 244

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-34.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.50 LYD 247

$139 COP 440.7K

-72.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.94 LYD 250

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-60.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 LYD 1,009

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-91.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$94.3 LYD 604

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-90.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$191 LYD 1,224

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-95.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$76.9 LYD 493

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-95.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 LYD 1,084

$663 COP 2.1M

-74.51%

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 Derna: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Derna

–

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Derna

–

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derna

–

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Derna

–

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Eating Out

Derna

–

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Getting Around

Derna

–

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Derna

–

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 292% higher in Medellin, 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 $8.00 in Derna versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $44.00 vs $298 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Derna

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

06:37 6:37 AM

7 h behind Derna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Derna Medellin 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Derna
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

Derna vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 844% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $258 per month in Derna and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $172 in Derna and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 844%.

Groceries cost about 577% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $172, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Derna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Derna costs $172 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Derna. 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.