Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ajdabiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ajdabiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $122 in Ajdabiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $197 in Ajdabiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $271 in Ajdabiya.

Living in Medellin is roughly 744% more expensive than Ajdabiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ajdabiya 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.15 LYD 51.7

8.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.50 LYD 9.52

49.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.07 LYD 6.79

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.76 LYD 4.79

101.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.47 LYD 3.00

191.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.47 LYD 3.00

140.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.47 LYD 2.99

138.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.18 LYD 1.13

405.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.86 LYD 11.77

25.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.95 LYD 6.04

51.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

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

$306 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$126 LYD 802

284.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$74.6 LYD 473

393.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$273 LYD 1,728

202.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$145 LYD 919

393.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ajdabiya: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $126 in Ajdabiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 Ajdabiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ajdabiya wins on cost – living expenses run 744% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ajdabiya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $184 in Ajdabiya 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $126 in Ajdabiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 293% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $122 in Ajdabiya – a 744% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $122 in Ajdabiya versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ajdabiya but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ajdabiya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ajdabiya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $122 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ajdabiya hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ajdabiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 744% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.