Cost of Living Comparison Between Lourdes and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lourdes and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,840 per month in Lourdes vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,780 per month in Lourdes vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,720 per month in Lourdes vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Lourdes costs about 81% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lourdes sits 38% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €15.18

$5.93 COP 19.1K

191.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €50.3

$33.12 COP 106.6K

72.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.04

$7.12 COP 22.9K

60.39%

Cappuccino

$3.47 €3.05

$1.71 COP 5,487

102.92%

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

$2.77 €2.44

$1.05 COP 3,374

163.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.55

$0.72 COP 2,324

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 €6.26

$1.72 COP 5,531

313.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €5.01

$3.17 COP 10.2K

79.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.13

$1.06 COP 3,426

20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.31 COP 4,215

34.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.32

$1.33 COP 4,279

97.74%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.48

$2.28 COP 7,338

73.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.75 €16.48

$4.42 COP 14.2K

324.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.59 €11.94

$5.92 COP 19.0K

129.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 €18.22

$8.64 COP 27.8K

139.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.62

$2.34 COP 7,545

27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.99

$1.10 COP 3,546

105.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.42

$1.47 COP 4,724

87.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.19

$1.38 COP 4,439

163.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.92

$1.17 COP 3,774

86.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 €2.17

$1.17 COP 3,765

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.31

$0.90 COP 2,905

65.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.59

$0.84 COP 2,708

-20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.41 €11.79

$2.33 COP 7,490

475.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 €7.30

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-30.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.36

$1.15 COP 3,693

133.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.00

$2.42 COP 7,791

41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.51

$0.84 COP 2,702

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.22 €42.39

$40.83 COP 131.4K

18.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.18

$1.41 COP 4,541

236.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.91 COP 6,160

-1.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.23 €30.97

$7.83 COP 25.2K

349.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.85

$0.94 COP 3,037

123.40%

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

$38.1K €33.5K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

113.73%

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

$37.1K €32.7K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

37.17%

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

$196 €172

$83.3 COP 267.9K

135.05%

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

$23.44 €20.60

$9.66 COP 31.1K

142.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €28.98

$24.22 COP 77.9K

36.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 €33.26

$25.22 COP 81.2K

50.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 €15.96

$19.33 COP 62.2K

-6.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 €12.31

$4.07 COP 13.1K

243.98%

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

$766 €673

$307 COP 986.5K

149.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,464 €7,441

$5,981 COP 19.2M

41.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.8

$60.0 COP 192.9K

68.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 €33.76

$32.65 COP 105.1K

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 €79.8

$101 COP 325.2K

-10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €120

$108 COP 347.6K

26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 €665

$476 COP 1.5M

59.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 €541

$379 COP 1.2M

62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 €1,234

$816 COP 2.6M

71.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 €943

$707 COP 2.3M

51.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,096 €3,601

$3,190 COP 10.3M

28.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,053 €2,684

$1,446 COP 4.7M

111.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,189 €1,924

$622 COP 2.0M

252.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

13.43

-72.97%

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

Last update for Lourdes: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $757 in Lourdes versus $476 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 252% higher in Lourdes, 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 $57.0 in Lourdes versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $192 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Lourdes vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,840 in Lourdes, $1,018 in Medellin – roughly 81% apart. Lourdes costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,760 per month in Lourdes and $1,527 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Lourdes and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,840 in Lourdes and $1,018 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in Lourdes at $1,840. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lourdes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,018 in Medellin to $1,840 in Lourdes. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lourdes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.