Cost of Living Comparison Between Maseru and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Maseru and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $699 in Maseru versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,161 in Maseru versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,624 in Maseru versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Maseru costs roughly 59% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maseru is 49% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 LSL 149

$8.03 COP 25.2K

15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.64 LSL 395

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-48.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 LSL 139

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-11.46%

Cappuccino

$2.12 LSL 33.93

$2.91 COP 9,149

-27.15%

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

$1.08 LSL 17.36

$1.94 COP 6,110

-44.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 LSL 13.68

$1.52 COP 4,783

-44.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 LSL 30.72

$3.09 COP 9,721

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 LSL 40.63

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-55.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 LSL 19.51

$1.36 COP 4,287

-10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 LSL 13.11

$2.39 COP 7,505

-65.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 LSL 29.52

$1.70 COP 5,346

8.24%

Eggs

$1.61 LSL 25.83

$2.87 COP 9,021

-43.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 LSL 113

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-29.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 LSL 99.8

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-42.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.20 LSL 99.4

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-57.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 LSL 31.60

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-51.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 LSL 37.67

$1.57 COP 4,940

49.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 LSL 44.29

$2.13 COP 6,682

29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 LSL 38.85

$2.21 COP 6,959

9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 LSL 25.12

$2.05 COP 6,435

-23.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 LSL 26.25

$1.50 COP 4,728

9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 LSL 24.56

$1.19 COP 3,740

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 LSL 13.54

$1.16 COP 3,640

-27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 LSL 85.7

$3.90 COP 12.2K

37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 LSL 119

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 LSL 17.99

$1.58 COP 4,978

-29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 LSL 25.46

$2.83 COP 8,889

-43.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 LSL 13.41

$1.17 COP 3,672

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.97 LSL 497

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-60.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 LSL 11.60

$1.28 COP 4,038

-43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 LSL 10.57

$2.09 COP 6,576

-68.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 LSL 60.5

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-56.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LSL 21.22

$1.30 COP 4,080

1.54%

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

$21.8K LSL 350.4K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-21.01%

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

$17.0K LSL 272.2K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-52.22%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

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

$15.02 LSL 241

$13.37 COP 42.0K

12.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.11 LSL 627

$29.89 COP 94.0K

30.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.99 LSL 385

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-46.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

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

$53.2 LSL 854

$793 COP 2.5M

-93.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,216 LSL 19.5K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-86.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.93 LSL 753

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-45.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 LSL 912

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 LSL 1,723

$136 COP 428.4K

-21.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 LSL 2,462

$103 COP 324.1K

48.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.6 LSL 1,518

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-91.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 LSL 904

$680 COP 2.1M

-91.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 LSL 7,245

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-77.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 LSL 2,851

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-84.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$395 LSL 6,338

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-90.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$537 LSL 8,605

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-68.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$647 LSL 10.4K

$665 COP 2.1M

-2.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

10.94

-22.30%

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

Last update for Maseru: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $94.6 in Maseru and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3% 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: $25.00 in Maseru vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $303 per month, with Maseru 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

Maseru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maseru and Medellin differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($699 vs $1,716 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $94.6 in Maseru versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Maseru – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $699 per month in Maseru versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $699 in Maseru versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maseru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Maseru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.