Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Lerdo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Lerdo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,117 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,781 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,446 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 10% less than in Ciudad Lerdo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$10.51 MX$182

-43.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$39.34 MX$681

-16.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$7.89 MX$137

-5.83%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$3.31 MX$57.3

-50.15%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.25 MX$21.61

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.98 MX$16.89

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.35 MX$40.57

-26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.91 MX$67.7

-18.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.43 MX$24.82

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$2.54 MX$43.93

-50.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.57 MX$27.25

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.41 MX$41.66

-9.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.86 MX$136

-42.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$7.79 MX$135

-25.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.38 MX$180

-13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.57 MX$44.45

-9.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.38 MX$23.87

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.80 MX$31.17

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.59 MX$27.57

-14.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.86 MX$32.13

-39.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.92 MX$33.24

-39.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.19 MX$20.65

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.99 MX$17.06

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$4.21 MX$72.9

-47.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$10.99 MX$190

10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.55 MX$26.73

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.75 MX$47.53

-9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.66 MX$11.33

28.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$13.13 MX$227

216.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$2.56 MX$44.30

-44.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.54 MX$26.56

26.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$8.23 MX$142

-4.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.30 MX$22.50

-23.85%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$21.1K MX$365.8K

-16.74%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$22.2K MX$384.3K

20.64%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$55.5 MX$960

49.65%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$22.55 MX$390

-56.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$27.90 MX$483

-15.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$36.56 MX$633

-30.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$15.83 MX$274

20.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.59 MX$79.4

-13.94%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$204 MX$3,526

54.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$3,551 MX$61.4K

68.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$53.3 MX$922

12.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$39.93 MX$691

-20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$89.5 MX$1,548

13.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$78.6 MX$1,360

36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$503 MX$8,709

-5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$396 MX$6,850

-5.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$920 MX$15.9K

-7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$768 MX$13.3K

-6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,860 MX$32.2K

75.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,226 MX$21.2K

17.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$228 MX$3,941

174.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.48

16.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $503 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 174% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $247 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

Medellin vs Ciudad Lerdo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 174% higher in Medellin, 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: $475 in Medellin versus $503 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 217% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $204 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,117 in Ciudad Lerdo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ciudad Lerdo. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.