Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $172 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Derna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Derna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $172 in Derna, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Derna $172

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $335 in Derna, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Derna $335

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $497 in Derna, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Derna $497

Medellin costs about 844% more than Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Derna is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.80 LYD 24.32

118.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$7.73 LYD 49.56

506.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$3.20 LYD 20.50

188.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 LYD 4.06

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$0.48 LYD 3.09

535.42%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.32 LYD 2.08

462.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.74 LYD 4.77

102.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.34 LYD 15.00

-27.35%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$0.89 LYD 5.71

232.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.08 LYD 19.74

216.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.75 LYD 4.79

104.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.94 LYD 6.02

136.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.82 LYD 5.24

56.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$14.18 LYD 90.9

105.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$31.15 LYD 200

181.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$38.11 LYD 244

52.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$38.50 LYD 247

261.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$38.94 LYD 250

153.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$157 LYD 1,009

1094.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$94.3 LYD 604

968.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$191 LYD 1,224

1988.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$76.9 LYD 493

2112.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$169 LYD 1,084

292.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 292% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $8.00 in Derna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $44.00 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

16:17 4:17 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

50,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Derna 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Derna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 844% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $258 in Derna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $172 in Derna. That's a gap of about 844%.

Groceries cost about 577% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $172, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Derna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Derna costs $172 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Derna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.