Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Lugo versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,208 in Lugo versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,923 in Lugo versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Lugo is roughly 49% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lugo is 12% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.95 €12.08

$5.91 COP 18.6K

136.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 €47.64

$32.96 COP 103.8K

66.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 €9.08

$7.43 COP 23.4K

41.05%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.77

$1.65 COP 5,207

24.24%

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

$2.61 €2.26

$1.10 COP 3,468

137.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.78 COP 2,458

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 €2.48

$1.72 COP 5,412

66.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.01

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-27.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.10 COP 3,474

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.26 COP 3,962

-3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.38 COP 4,349

16.67%

Eggs

$2.71 €2.35

$2.18 COP 6,858

24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 €12.04

$4.49 COP 14.1K

209.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 €5.43

$5.79 COP 18.2K

8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.19 €19.22

$8.97 COP 28.2K

147.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.32 COP 7,308

-20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.92

$1.06 COP 3,352

109.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.68

$1.52 COP 4,774

103.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 €3.91

$1.36 COP 4,270

232.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.13 COP 3,552

5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 €2.27

$1.17 COP 3,689

123.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.02

$0.90 COP 2,838

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$0.90 COP 2,823

1.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 €5.33

$2.23 COP 7,034

176.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 €4.02

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.19 COP 3,743

68.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.45

$2.48 COP 7,815

13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.85 COP 2,687

-8.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.76 €19.71

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-45.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.75

$1.42 COP 4,459

286.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.95 COP 6,141

-47.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 €21.38

$7.89 COP 24.8K

212.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.99 COP 3,118

75.76%

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

$30.8K €26.6K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

74.80%

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

$31.8K €27.5K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

18.60%

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

$142 €123

$83.0 COP 261.4K

71.64%

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

$21.46 €18.59

$9.70 COP 30.5K

121.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.27 €27.95

$23.52 COP 74.1K

37.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.86 €41.44

$25.26 COP 79.5K

89.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 €10.18

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-38.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 €8.79

$3.95 COP 12.4K

156.71%

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

$363 €314

$316 COP 994.2K

14.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,213 €7,113

$5,975 COP 18.8M

37.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 €65.6

$60.0 COP 188.9K

26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.01 €27.72

$31.82 COP 100.2K

0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 €76.0

$102 COP 320.1K

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €122

$107 COP 338.3K

30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 €729

$475 COP 1.5M

77.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 €507

$374 COP 1.2M

56.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 €426

$849 COP 2.7M

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 €718

$719 COP 2.3M

15.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,830 €2,451

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-13.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 €1,939

$1,441 COP 4.5M

55.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,693 €1,466

$624 COP 2.0M

171.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

13.43

-73.94%

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

Last update for Lugo: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Lugo and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lugo pays 171% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Lugo vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $193 per month, with Medellin 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

Lugo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 171% higher in Lugo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $841 in Lugo versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $363 in Lugo versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lugo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,494 in Lugo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lugo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lugo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lugo 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lugo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.