Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jal el Dib

For one person, living is cheaper in Jal el Dib: $987 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Jal el Dib, Lebanon
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Jal el Dib
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$987
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jal el Dib

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 Jal el Dib actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $987 in Jal el Dib.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Jal el Dib $987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,592 in Jal el Dib.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Jal el Dib $1,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,196 in Jal el Dib.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Jal el Dib $2,196

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Jal el Dib, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Jal el Dib is 27% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$11.95 LBP 1.1M
-32.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$68.8 LBP 6.2M
-31.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$10.12 LBP 905.8K
-6.13%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$4.61 LBP 412.3K
-34.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$2.28 LBP 203.9K
-21.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$0.91 LBP 81.2K
54.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$4.88 LBP 436.7K
-34.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$4.85 LBP 434.3K
18.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.95 LBP 174.1K
-22.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$0.90 LBP 80.5K
164.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$2.24 LBP 200.8K
-20.98%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$3.66 LBP 327.1K
-21.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$11.19 LBP 1.0M
-8.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$10.62 LBP 950.2K
-7.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$15.07 LBP 1.3M
-7.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.11 LBP 278.0K
27.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.70 LBP 151.7K
-8.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.67 LBP 149.8K
30.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$1.49 LBP 133.0K
46.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$1.20 LBP 107.6K
63.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.59 LBP 142.2K
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$1.21 LBP 108.3K
-4.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.73 LBP 65.7K
69.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$2.98 LBP 266.3K
32.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$11.03 LBP 986.9K
24.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.32 LBP 117.8K
25.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$2.52 LBP 225.5K
-10.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$5.03 LBP 450.2K
-74.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$2.23 LBP 199.2K
-8.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$22.69 LBP 2.0M
-62.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.04 LBP 93.4K
29.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$53.6K LBP 4.8B
-36.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$32.8K LBP 2.9B
5.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$216 LBP 19.3M
-21.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$23.90 LBP 2.1M
-43.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$37.83 LBP 3.4M
-25.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$9.92 LBP 887.5K
-30.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$690 LBP 61.7M
15.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$10.5K LBP 943.7M
-13.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$68.4 LBP 6.1M
23.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$48.64 LBP 4.4M
19.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$138 LBP 12.3M
-2.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$118 LBP 10.6M
-17.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Jal el Dib
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11
-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jal el Dib: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Jal el Dib
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Jal el Dib
$278 6.4% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Jal el Dib
$277 31.3% $66
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Jal el Dib
$228 34.5% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Jal el Dib
$168 0.6% $1.1
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Jal el Dib
$16 * 82.7% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Jal el Dib
$20 * 65.5% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $69 in Jal el Dib. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $278, with Jal el Dib cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇧 Jal el Dib
🕒 Local time
13:22 1:22 PM
20:22 8:22 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,877 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Jal el Dib 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Jal el Dib

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 Jal el Dib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jal el Dib cheaper than Medellin?
Jal el Dib is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,481 in Jal el Dib to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $690 in Jal el Dib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Jal el Dib?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $69 in Jal el Dib. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

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