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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,133 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,779 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,425 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 24% lower, Ciudad Lerdo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$10.44 MX$179

-43.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$39.05 MX$670

-14.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$8.01 MX$137

-9.74%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.33 MX$57.1

-51.05%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.23 MX$21.11

-11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.90 MX$15.38

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.39 MX$41.11

-27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$3.96 MX$67.9

-18.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.43 MX$24.62

-26.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.56 MX$43.91

-49.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.64 MX$28.10

-19.51%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.42 MX$41.46

-6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.82 MX$134

-44.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$7.65 MX$131

-23.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.49 MX$180

-17.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.58 MX$44.34

-12.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.45 MX$24.88

-26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.71 MX$29.33

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.59 MX$27.23

-10.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.85 MX$31.69

-36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.93 MX$33.05

-39.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.26 MX$21.54

-29.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.02 MX$17.50

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.23 MX$72.5

-46.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$10.67 MX$183

3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.60 MX$27.53

-28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.77 MX$47.57

-14.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.65 MX$11.20

29.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$13.26 MX$228

216.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.52 MX$43.32

-44.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.55 MX$26.63

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$8.16 MX$140

-5.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.26 MX$21.65

-19.84%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.4K MX$366.9K

-17.75%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$22.2K MX$381.6K

19.16%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$57.0 MX$978

46.91%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$21.79 MX$374

-56.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$28.55 MX$490

-15.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$36.60 MX$628

-30.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$15.56 MX$267

23.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.68 MX$80.4

-12.39%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$205 MX$3,513

52.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,602 MX$61.8K

66.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$53.9 MX$926

7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$39.38 MX$676

-17.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$88.1 MX$1,513

13.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$78.6 MX$1,349

38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$503 MX$8,627

-4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$396 MX$6,795

-4.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$934 MX$16.0K

-10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$774 MX$13.3K

-6.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,917 MX$32.9K

48.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-2.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$226 MX$3,882

139.13%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $503 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 139% 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 $190 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.

Medellin pays 139% 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: $482 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 216% 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 $205 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 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 $1,017 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.