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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,133 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,783 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,434 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 9% less than in Ciudad Lerdo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$10.40 MX$180

-43.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$38.59 MX$669

-14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$8.03 MX$139

-9.71%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$3.21 MX$55.6

-46.73%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.24 MX$21.43

-12.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.95 MX$16.50

-18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$2.44 MX$42.24

-28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$4.01 MX$69.4

-20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.42 MX$24.55

-25.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$2.59 MX$44.91

-49.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.57 MX$27.16

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.41 MX$41.76

-8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$8.23 MX$143

-45.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$7.96 MX$138

-27.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$10.41 MX$180

-13.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.57 MX$44.51

-10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.44 MX$24.99

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.73 MX$29.93

-12.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.57 MX$27.28

-13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.85 MX$32.13

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.93 MX$33.51

-39.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.24 MX$21.52

-33.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.98 MX$16.95

-13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$4.14 MX$71.8

-43.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$11.13 MX$193

-0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.60 MX$27.67

-28.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.86 MX$49.63

-13.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.64 MX$11.16

23.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$13.02 MX$226

221.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$2.65 MX$45.84

-45.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.59 MX$27.47

19.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$8.36 MX$145

-7.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.25 MX$21.71

-17.60%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.3K MX$370.0K

-17.18%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$22.2K MX$385.5K

21.46%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$56.5 MX$980

44.00%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$22.20 MX$385

-57.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$27.71 MX$480

-14.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$36.18 MX$627

-28.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$15.74 MX$273

22.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.77 MX$82.6

-15.09%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$207 MX$3,580

51.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$3,622 MX$62.8K

67.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$53.5 MX$927

10.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$40.33 MX$699

-18.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$89.8 MX$1,555

11.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$77.8 MX$1,348

36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$503 MX$8,719

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$392 MX$6,785

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$943 MX$16.3K

-11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$771 MX$13.4K

-7.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,964 MX$34.0K

50.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,293 MX$22.4K

7.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$230 MX$3,984

131.45%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $503 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 131% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $39 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $250 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 10% 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.

Medellin pays 131% more on average, 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: $490 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 221% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $207 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,133 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 $1,030 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 10% less than in Ciudad Lerdo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.