Cost of Living Comparison Between Leticia and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Leticia and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Leticia versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,042 in Leticia versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Leticia versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Leticia costs roughly 24% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leticia is 5% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.93 COP 21.8K

$8.03 COP 25.3K

-13.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.05 COP 113.5K

$48.26 COP 152.0K

-25.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 COP 32.4K

$9.77 COP 30.8K

5.32%

Cappuccino

$2.30 COP 7,237

$2.91 COP 9,167

-20.96%

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

$1.53 COP 4,811

$1.94 COP 6,122

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 COP 2,576

$1.52 COP 4,792

-46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 COP 9,052

$3.09 COP 9,740

-7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 COP 13.5K

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-25.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 COP 4,904

$1.36 COP 4,296

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 COP 6,591

$2.39 COP 7,519

-12.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,026

$1.70 COP 5,356

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.25 COP 10.2K

$2.87 COP 9,038

13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 COP 23.2K

$9.94 COP 31.3K

-26.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 COP 32.0K

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 COP 34.9K

$14.73 COP 46.4K

-24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 COP 12.8K

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-0.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 COP 4,995

$1.57 COP 4,950

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 COP 5,814

$2.13 COP 6,695

-13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,579

$2.21 COP 6,972

-19.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 COP 4,012

$2.05 COP 6,447

-38.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,838

$1.50 COP 4,737

2.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 COP 4,022

$1.19 COP 3,747

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 COP 3,227

$1.16 COP 3,647

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.7K

$3.90 COP 12.3K

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 COP 38.6K

$14.44 COP 45.5K

-15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,474

$1.58 COP 4,987

-10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 COP 8,061

$2.83 COP 8,905

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.17 COP 3,679

8.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 COP 5,051

$1.28 COP 4,045

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 COP 5,815

$2.09 COP 6,589

-11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 COP 28.9K

$8.62 COP 27.1K

6.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 COP 3,855

$1.30 COP 4,088

-6.15%

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

$26.0K COP 81.9M

$27.7K COP 87.1M

-6.00%

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

$40.3K COP 127.0M

$35.5K COP 111.8M

13.58%

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

$138 COP 435.9K

$176 COP 554.5K

-21.38%

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

$13.16 COP 41.5K

$13.37 COP 42.1K

-1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.92 COP 97.4K

$29.89 COP 94.1K

3.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 COP 121.5K

$44.76 COP 141.0K

-13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 COP 22.5K

$6.20 COP 19.5K

15.16%

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

$602 COP 1.9M

$793 COP 2.5M

-24.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,700 COP 21.1M

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-25.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.8 COP 292.3K

$85.6 COP 269.6K

8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 174.1K

$58.5 COP 184.1K

-5.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$154 COP 484.9K

$136 COP 429.3K

12.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 COP 360.4K

$103 COP 324.7K

10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 COP 2.0M

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-40.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 COP 1.7M

$680 COP 2.1M

-19.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 COP 3.5M

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-44.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 COP 3.4M

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,811 COP 5.7M

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-55.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,491 COP 4.7M

$1,701 COP 5.4M

-12.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

10.94

5.85%

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

Last update for Leticia: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $632 in Leticia and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Leticia vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $303 per month, with Leticia 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

Leticia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leticia wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leticia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,957 in Leticia and $2,574 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $632 in Leticia versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Leticia versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Leticia versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Leticia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Leticia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leticia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leticia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Leticia and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Leticia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.