Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leticia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Leticia: $1,376 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Leticia
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,376
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,376 in Leticia versus $1,614 in Medellin.

  • Leticia $1,376
  • Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,110 in Leticia versus $2,402 in Medellin.

  • Leticia $2,110
  • Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,844 in Leticia versus $3,190 in Medellin.

  • Leticia $2,844
  • Medellin $3,190

Living in Leticia costs roughly 15% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leticia 2% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.46 COP 26.8K
$7.93 COP 25.2K
6.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.96 COP 120.3K
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-17.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.20 COP 29.2K
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-3.16%
Cappuccino
$2.22 COP 7,037
$3.11 COP 9,866
-28.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 COP 4,864
$1.83 COP 5,800
-16.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 COP 2,712
$1.38 COP 4,360
-37.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.59 COP 11.4K
$3.05 COP 9,672
17.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 COP 10.2K
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-41.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 COP 5,072
$1.45 COP 4,600
10.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 COP 8,103
$2.36 COP 7,496
8.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 COP 5,720
$1.68 COP 5,328
7.14%
Eggs
$3.06 COP 9,695
$2.86 COP 9,077
6.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.01 COP 28.6K
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-11.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.77 COP 34.2K
$9.53 COP 30.2K
13.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.71 COP 37.1K
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-16.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 COP 10.4K
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-19.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 COP 4,334
$1.50 COP 4,742
-8.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 COP 5,961
$2.17 COP 6,891
-13.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.78 COP 5,657
$2.31 COP 7,310
-22.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.35 COP 4,291
$1.93 COP 6,113
-30.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 COP 4,775
$1.64 COP 5,196
-7.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,576
$1.13 COP 3,571
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 COP 3,430
$1.25 COP 3,954
-13.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.51 COP 11.1K
$3.99 COP 12.6K
-12.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.54 COP 42.9K
$13.35 COP 42.3K
1.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 COP 4,117
$1.70 COP 5,384
-23.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 COP 7,641
$2.37 COP 7,525
1.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.98 COP 3,092
$1.21 COP 3,827
-19.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 COP 4,814
$1.32 COP 4,179
15.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 COP 5,891
$2.14 COP 6,774
-13.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.41 COP 26.7K
$8.47 COP 26.8K
-0.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 COP 4,318
$1.30 COP 4,114
4.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K COP 75.7M
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-14.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K COP 119.2M
$35.4K COP 112.3M
6.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 COP 354.1K
$172 COP 545.6K
-35.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.80 COP 46.9K
$13.37 COP 42.4K
10.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.90 COP 101.1K
$28.73 COP 91.1K
11.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.84 COP 126.3K
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-11.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.73 COP 18.2K
$6.28 COP 19.9K
-8.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$579 COP 1.8M
$770 COP 2.4M
-24.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,257 COP 23.0M
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-19.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 COP 276.0K
$86.4 COP 274.0K
0.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.2 COP 197.2K
$57.1 COP 181.1K
8.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 COP 454.3K
$137 COP 432.9K
4.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 COP 364.6K
$97.9 COP 310.4K
17.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 COP 2.0M
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-41.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$531 COP 1.7M
$616 COP 2.0M
-13.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 COP 2.9M
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-52.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 COP 3.1M
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-3.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,225 COP 7.1M
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-45.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,737 COP 5.5M
$1,678 COP 5.3M
3.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Leticia
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$652 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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Leticia
$531
Medellin
$616 16% $85
Groceries & Markets
Leticia
$281
Medellin
$295 4.8% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Leticia
$183
Medellin
$170 7.2% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Leticia
$158
Medellin
$214 35.2% $56
Eating Out
Leticia
$156
Medellin
$168 8.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Leticia
$51
Medellin
$58 12.7% $6.5
Getting Around
Leticia
$15 *
Medellin
$93 534% $79

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 $619 in Leticia and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Leticia vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $295 per month, with Leticia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Leticia
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
19:15 7:15 PM
19:15 7:15 PM
Same time as Leticia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Leticia Medellin 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Leticia
  • 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
Leticia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Leticia or Medellin?
Leticia wins on cost – living expenses run 17% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Leticia and in Medellin?
You'd need roughly $2,064 in Leticia and $2,421 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Leticia compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Leticia versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Leticia or in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Leticia compared to Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $1,376 per month in Leticia versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Leticia or in Medellin?
At $1,376 in Leticia versus $1,614 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Leticia or Medellin?
Both work as nomad bases, but Leticia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,376 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leticia hard to pass up.
How safe is Leticia compared to Medellin?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Leticia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Leticia vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?