Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Libertad and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in La Libertad: $794 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

La Libertad, Ecuador
Medellin, Colombia
La Libertad
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$794
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in La Libertad versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • La Libertad $794
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,328 in La Libertad versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • La Libertad $1,328
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,863 in La Libertad versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • La Libertad $1,863
  • Medellin $3,186

Living in La Libertad costs roughly 52% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Libertad is 42% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.21 $3.21
$8.09 COP 25.6K
-60.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.15 $47.15
$47.05 COP 149.0K
0.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.64 $5.64
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-40.63%
Cappuccino
$2.65 $2.65
$3.01 COP 9,550
-11.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.80 COP 5,699
-52.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 $0.74
$1.41 COP 4,474
-47.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.31 $2.31
$3.18 COP 10.1K
-27.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 $4.24
$5.75 COP 18.2K
-26.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.51 COP 4,783
-28.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 $1.63
$2.38 COP 7,532
-31.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.77 COP 5,611
-11.86%
Eggs
$2.07 $2.07
$2.89 COP 9,155
-28.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.47 $6.47
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-36.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.24 $5.24
$9.87 COP 31.3K
-46.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.42 $7.42
$13.99 COP 44.3K
-46.96%
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 $1.87
$3.97 COP 12.6K
-52.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.55 COP 4,916
-27.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.13 $1.13
$2.18 COP 6,914
-48.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.97 $0.97
$2.18 COP 6,917
-55.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.96 COP 6,217
-45.92%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.59 COP 5,034
-42.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.15 COP 3,628
-34.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.24 COP 3,938
-10.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.72 $5.72
$3.96 COP 12.6K
44.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.51 $7.51
$13.68 COP 43.3K
-45.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.66 COP 5,257
-9.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 $2.90
$2.26 COP 7,152
28.32%
🚌 Getting Around
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 $0.36
$1.17 COP 3,699
-69.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 245.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.27 COP 4,017
5.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.18 $1.18
$2.05 COP 6,486
-42.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.36 $11.36
$8.55 COP 27.1K
32.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.79 $0.79
$1.35 COP 4,266
-41.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K $22.0K
$34.1K COP 107.9M
-35.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K $33.9K
$34.7K COP 109.8M
-2.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$34.39 $34.39
$170 COP 537.4K
-79.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.80 $12.80
$13.55 COP 42.9K
-5.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.45 $25.45
$28.07 COP 88.9K
-9.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.93 $33.93
$43.70 COP 138.4K
-22.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.33 $14.33
$17.19 COP 54.4K
-16.64%
Cinema Ticket
$5.99 $5.99
$6.91 COP 21.9K
-13.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$287 $287
$797 COP 2.5M
-63.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,343 $6,343
$9,112 COP 28.9M
-30.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.0 $55.0
$84.7 COP 268.3K
-35.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.85 $42.85
$58.0 COP 183.6K
-26.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 $104
$135 COP 427.5K
-22.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.0 $76.0
$97.9 COP 310.0K
-22.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$376 $376
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-68.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$256 $256
$642 COP 2.0M
-60.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$837 $837
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-58.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$527 $527
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-47.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,170 COP 13.2M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,910 COP 6.1M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Libertad
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.09
10.94
-7.77%

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

Last update for La Libertad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
La Libertad
$256
Medellin
$642 151% $386
Groceries & Markets
La Libertad
$185
Medellin
$297 60.7% $112
Clothing & Footwear
La Libertad
$125
Medellin
$169 35.2% $44
Eating Out
La Libertad
$101
Medellin
$170 68.3% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Libertad
$73
Medellin
$211 191% $139
Sport & Entertainment
La Libertad
$46
Medellin
$58 25.3% $12
Getting Around
La Libertad
$8.7 *
Medellin
$94 979% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in La Libertad and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in La Libertad vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $297 per month, with La Libertad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇨 La Libertad
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
02:12 2:12 AM
02:12 2:12 AM
Same time as La Libertad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,881
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,167 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,530 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Libertad Medellin 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • La Libertad
  • 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
La Libertad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Libertad cheaper than Medellin?
La Libertad is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,190 in La Libertad and $2,459 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between La Libertad and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $376 in La Libertad versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in La Libertad and in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $287 in La Libertad versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in La Libertad or in Medellin?
At $794 in La Libertad versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in La Libertad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes La Libertad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in La Libertad or in Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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