Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lahore: $520 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Lahore versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Lahore $520
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $787 in Lahore versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Lahore $787
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,053 in Lahore versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Lahore $1,053
Medellin $3,186

Living in Lahore costs roughly 68% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lahore is 62% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 PKR 716

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-67.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.71 PKR 4,068

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-68.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PKR 1,603

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-38.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,461

Cappuccino

$2.50 PKR 692

$3.01 COP 9,485

-16.94%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$1.80 COP 5,660

-77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.2

$1.41 COP 4,443

-81.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$1.51 COP 4,751

-35.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 PKR 206

$2.38 COP 7,480

-68.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.77 COP 5,573

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$2.89 COP 9,093

-58.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 PKR 1,698

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-39.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 PKR 703

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-74.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.74 PKR 1,310

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-66.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 PKR 330

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-70.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 180

$1.55 COP 4,883

-58.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 PKR 230

$2.18 COP 6,867

-61.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 176

$2.18 COP 6,870

-70.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 78.8

$1.96 COP 6,174

-85.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 98.8

$1.59 COP 5,000

-77.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 133

$1.15 COP 3,604

-58.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.8

$1.24 COP 3,911

-71.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 290

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 PKR 179

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 PKR 457

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 PKR 593

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-45.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 50.6

$1.17 COP 3,674

-84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.42 PKR 1,775

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-91.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 256

$1.27 COP 3,989

-26.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$2.05 COP 6,442

-65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 PKR 491

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-79.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 PKR 384

$1.35 COP 4,237

2.96%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-47.32%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-29.83%

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

$126 PKR 35.0K

$170 COP 533.7K

-25.48%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,512

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-59.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.39 PKR 4,532

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-41.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.48 PKR 5,661

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-53.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 PKR 3,129

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-34.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 PKR 1,202

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-37.05%

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

$74.0 PKR 20.5K

$797 COP 2.5M

-90.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,052 PKR 567.2K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-77.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.12 PKR 5,011

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-78.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 PKR 7,751

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-51.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$135 COP 424.6K

-44.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.44 PKR 9,245

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.2K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-86.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.1 PKR 26.3K

$642 COP 2.0M

-85.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 PKR 99.2K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-82.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 PKR 57.0K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-79.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$827 PKR 228.8K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-80.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$568 PKR 157.1K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-70.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 PKR 54.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-69.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

10.94

28.43%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$148 28.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 42.5% $63

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$96 18.5%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 209% $201

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$95 18.3%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 575% $546

Eating Out

Lahore

$71 13.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 140% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 144% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$29 5.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 97.2% $28

Getting Around

Lahore

$12 2.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 709% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Lahore and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Lahore vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $96 vs $297 per month, with Lahore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

07:10 7:10 AM

10 h behind Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lahore Medellin 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Lahore
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

Lahore vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lahore and Medellin differ by about 215% in total monthly costs ($520 vs $1,639 including rent). Lahore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Lahore. 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: $167 in Lahore versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 209% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lahore – a meal for two runs $15 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $520 in Lahore versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Lahore but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lahore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Lahore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.