Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisse and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,645 in Lisse, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisse
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,645
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Lisse vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Lisse $2,645
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,951 per month in Lisse vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Lisse $3,951
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Lisse vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Lisse $5,257
  • Medellin $3,199

Lisse costs about 63% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisse and Medellin sit above the global median – Lisse by 95%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.24 €19.78
$8.30 COP 26.3K
167.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.9 €80.8
$46.91 COP 148.7K
93.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.23 €9.10
$9.24 COP 29.3K
10.71%
Cappuccino
$3.66 €3.25
$3.05 COP 9,676
20.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 €3.03
$1.80 COP 5,707
89.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.43
$1.38 COP 4,382
98.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.87 €6.11
$3.24 COP 10.3K
112.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 €3.70
$5.56 COP 17.6K
-25.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.50 COP 4,760
-2.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 €1.99
$2.37 COP 7,508
-5.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$1.70 COP 5,377
46.47%
Eggs
$4.72 €4.20
$2.96 COP 9,379
59.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.89 €13.24
$10.22 COP 32.4K
45.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.97 €11.54
$9.74 COP 30.9K
33.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 €17.20
$13.90 COP 44.1K
39.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.32
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-37.05%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.53 COP 4,839
49.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 €1.75
$2.22 COP 7,052
-11.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.54 €3.15
$2.27 COP 7,194
55.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.99 COP 6,311
-31.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.67 COP 5,285
-20.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.18 COP 3,742
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.24 COP 3,919
-29.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.72 €13.10
$3.87 COP 12.3K
280.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.99 €5.33
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-56.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.66 COP 5,256
-21.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.73
$2.40 COP 7,615
-18.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.99 €3.55
$1.24 COP 3,944
221.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$91.3 €81.2
$78.2 COP 248.0K
16.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.72 €4.20
$1.28 COP 4,044
268.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.49 €3.10
$2.15 COP 6,803
62.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.11 €29.45
$8.37 COP 26.5K
295.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.54 €2.25
$1.35 COP 4,288
88.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.7K €37.1K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
19.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.8K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
12.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$284 €253
$167 COP 528.4K
70.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.12 €25.01
$13.62 COP 43.2K
106.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.1 €49.00
$29.12 COP 92.3K
89.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.63 €38.81
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-3.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.33 €18.98
$17.18 COP 54.5K
24.16%
Cinema Ticket
$17.14 €15.24
$6.97 COP 22.1K
145.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,453 €2,182
$790 COP 2.5M
210.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
28.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.4 €85.7
$87.8 COP 278.4K
9.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.07 €38.31
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-25.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 €95.1
$139 COP 440.7K
-23.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €121
$98.9 COP 313.5K
37.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,527 €1,358
$1,028 COP 3.3M
48.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,248 €1,110
$620 COP 2.0M
101.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,318 €2,062
$1,881 COP 6.0M
23.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,146 €1,909
$1,008 COP 3.2M
112.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,656 €5,031
$3,988 COP 12.6M
41.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,515 €4,016
$1,702 COP 5.4M
165.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisse
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$663 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
10.94
-68.92%

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

Last update for Lisse: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisse
$1.2K
Medellin
$619 50.4% $628
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisse
$367
Medellin
$209 43% $158
Groceries & Markets
Lisse
$330
Medellin
$298 9.7% $32
Eating Out
Lisse
$320
Medellin
$171 46.6% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Lisse
$172
Medellin
$173 0.3% $0.6
Getting Around
Lisse
$129
Medellin
$95 26.5% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Lisse
$78
Medellin
$59 24.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,527 in Lisse versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Lisse versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Lisse
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
17:40 5:40 PM
10:40 10:40 AM
7 h behind Lisse
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,995
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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
  • Lisse Medellin 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisse
  • 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
Lisse vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Lisse?
Yes – Lisse is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,967 per month in Lisse and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,453 per month in Lisse and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Lisse and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Lisse, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Lisse or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Lisse at $2,645. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisse it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lisse or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lisse or Medellin?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lisse vs other spots: cost of living compared

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