Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Adma

For one person, living is cheaper in Adma: $1,018 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Adma
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Adma

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Adma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,018 in Adma.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Adma $1,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,588 in Adma.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Adma $1,588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $2,158 in Adma.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Adma $2,158

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than in Adma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Adma is 24% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.8K
$12.06 LBP 1.1M
-33.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 149.9K
$68.6 LBP 6.1M
-32.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.4K
$9.95 LBP 890.1K
-5.23%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,374
$4.57 LBP 409.2K
-36.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,643
$2.28 LBP 203.8K
-23.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,263
$0.88 LBP 78.8K
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$4.87 LBP 436.2K
-35.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.9K
$4.64 LBP 415.3K
19.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,542
$1.91 LBP 170.5K
-26.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,858
$0.86 LBP 76.8K
183.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,245
$2.23 LBP 199.7K
-26.91%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 9,084
$3.53 LBP 315.7K
-20.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 31.2K
$11.15 LBP 997.5K
-13.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 30.0K
$10.77 LBP 963.5K
-13.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 43.3K
$14.64 LBP 1.3M
-8.06%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.9K
$3.11 LBP 278.8K
28.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,768
$1.72 LBP 153.6K
-13.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,839
$1.61 LBP 144.1K
31.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,253
$1.48 LBP 132.7K
52.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,155
$1.27 LBP 113.2K
50.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,214
$1.52 LBP 136.5K
6.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$1.18 LBP 105.4K
-2.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,063
$0.71 LBP 63.7K
77.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.3K
$3.08 LBP 276.0K
24.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 42.2K
$11.21 LBP 1.0M
16.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,136
$1.28 LBP 114.9K
25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,263
$2.47 LBP 221.3K
-8.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Adma
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 241.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,098
$5.09 LBP 455.3K
-75.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,600
$2.20 LBP 196.6K
-6.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.4K
$22.36 LBP 2.0M
-63.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,088
$1.07 LBP 95.7K
18.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 86.2M
$53.7K LBP 4.8B
-50.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$32.3K LBP 2.9B
6.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 522.3K
$236 LBP 21.1M
-31.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 42.3K
$22.12 LBP 2.0M
-40.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 90.5K
$38.19 LBP 3.4M
-26.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 142.7K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.6K
$9.82 LBP 879.3K
-37.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.5M
$692 LBP 61.9M
10.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.7M
$10.6K LBP 944.9M
-15.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 273.6K
$66.3 LBP 5.9M
28.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 185.1K
$48.86 LBP 4.4M
17.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 424.2K
$139 LBP 12.4M
-5.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 308.3K
$119 LBP 10.7M
-19.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Adma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.8M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.6M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Adma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11
-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Adma: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Adma
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Adma
$275 4.5% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Adma
$297 45.8% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Adma
$168 0.9% $1.6
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Adma
$227 36.8% $61
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Adma
$16 * 82.4% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Adma
$20 * 65.2% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $69.0 in Adma. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $275, with Adma cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇧 Adma
🕒 Local time
00:06 12:06 AM
08:06 8:06 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,381 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Adma 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Adma

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
Medellin vs Adma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Adma cheaper than Medellin?
Adma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,384 in Medellin and $1,527 in Adma 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $764 in Medellin versus $692 in Adma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Adma?
Dining out is cheaper in Adma – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Adma?
At $1,018 in Adma versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Adma but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Adma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Medellin or Adma more family-friendly?
For families, Adma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Adma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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