Cost of Living Comparison Between Leon and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Leon and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,306 per month in Leon vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Leon vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,002 per month in Leon vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Leon is about 24% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Leon sits 5% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 MX$223

$8.03 COP 25.3K

63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 MX$985

$48.26 COP 152.0K

20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 MX$168

$9.77 COP 30.8K

1.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 MX$71.8

$2.91 COP 9,167

45.36%

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

$1.41 MX$23.97

$1.94 COP 6,122

-27.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.03

$1.52 COP 4,792

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 MX$60.6

$3.09 COP 9,740

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$71.7

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.00

$1.36 COP 4,296

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 MX$51.0

$2.39 COP 7,519

25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.54

$1.70 COP 5,356

9.41%

Eggs

$3.69 MX$62.6

$2.87 COP 9,038

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 MX$128

$9.94 COP 31.3K

-24.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 MX$140

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-23.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 MX$198

$14.73 COP 46.4K

-20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 MX$44.83

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-35.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.42

$1.57 COP 4,950

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.73

$2.13 COP 6,695

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.24

$2.21 COP 6,972

-24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.01

$2.05 COP 6,447

6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$36.89

$1.50 COP 4,737

44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.66

$1.19 COP 3,747

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.32

$1.16 COP 3,647

-32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 MX$85.8

$3.90 COP 12.3K

29.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 MX$253

$14.44 COP 45.5K

3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$43.33

$1.58 COP 4,987

61.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 MX$63.1

$2.83 COP 8,905

31.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MX$14.21

$1.17 COP 3,679

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.85 MX$643

$77.7 COP 244.8K

-51.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 MX$51.0

$1.28 COP 4,045

134.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 MX$49.59

$2.09 COP 6,589

39.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.11 MX$274

$8.62 COP 27.1K

86.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.62

$1.30 COP 4,088

20.77%

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

$22.6K MX$383.2K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

-18.41%

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

$25.8K MX$437.4K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

-27.46%

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

$23.36 MX$397

$176 COP 554.5K

-86.73%

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

$44.11 MX$749

$13.37 COP 42.1K

229.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 MX$1,070

$29.89 COP 94.1K

110.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 MX$1,085

$44.76 COP 141.0K

42.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.24 MX$615

$17.06 COP 53.7K

112.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 MX$119

$6.20 COP 19.5K

12.90%

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

$200 MX$3,393

$793 COP 2.5M

-74.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,057 MX$68.9K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-55.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MX$1,042

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-28.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 MX$1,191

$58.5 COP 184.1K

19.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,843

$136 COP 429.3K

-20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,125

$103 COP 324.7K

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 MX$9,488

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-47.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 MX$6,710

$680 COP 2.1M

-41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 MX$14.4K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-57.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 MX$12.4K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-37.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$571 MX$9,699

$665 COP 2.1M

-14.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

10.94

6.03%

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

Last update for Leon: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Leon versus $1,060 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% 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 $58.0 in Leon versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $284 in Leon vs $303 in Medellin – so Leon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Leon vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 31% more than Leon, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,959 per month in Leon and $2,574 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Leon and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $1,306, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leon costs $1,306 versus $1,716 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 Leon. 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.