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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $873 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,413 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,953 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 93% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ciudad Lerdo is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.98 MX$103

34.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$27.21 MX$469

75.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.87 MX$118

43.96%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.71 MX$29.50

83.04%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.86 MX$14.83

122.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.60 MX$10.28

151.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.48 MX$25.60

110.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.00 MX$51.7

91.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.20 MX$20.65

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.45 MX$24.97

71.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.19 MX$20.51

48.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.77 MX$30.60

67.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.15 MX$71.5

142.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.15 MX$71.5

143.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.85 MX$118

108.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.48 MX$25.53

179.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.90 MX$15.54

78.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.87 MX$14.98

158.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.84 MX$14.47

167.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.92 MX$15.83

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.90 MX$15.57

71.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.57 MX$9.77

105.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.67 MX$11.49

95.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.16 MX$71.7

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.81 MX$117

105.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.14 MX$19.72

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.45 MX$24.99

97.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.73 MX$12.62

67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$14.86 MX$256

441.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.31 MX$22.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.15 MX$37.12

1.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$5.93 MX$102

46.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.31 MX$22.50

4.58%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.5K MX$336.1K

42.80%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$22.1K MX$381.6K

61.63%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$35.17 MX$606

404.12%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$14.77 MX$255

-6.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$23.52 MX$406

26.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$36.00 MX$621

24.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$20.99 MX$362

-18.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.19 MX$72.2

58.71%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$148 MX$2,544

450.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,931 MX$50.5K

213.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$28.61 MX$493

212.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$22.96 MX$396

156.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$59.2 MX$1,020

133.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$45.88 MX$791

122.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$638 MX$11.0K

66.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$412 MX$7,096

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,126 MX$19.4K

67.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$806 MX$13.9K

27.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,958 MX$33.8K

113.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,219 MX$21.0K

37.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$235 MX$4,045

188.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.53

3.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $638 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 189% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $150 per month, with Ciudad Lerdo 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

Ciudad Lerdo wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Lerdo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 189% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $638 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Lerdo runs roughly 442% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $148 in Ciudad Lerdo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $873 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Lerdo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Lerdo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Lerdo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $873 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Lerdo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ciudad Lerdo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.