Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koura

For one person, living is cheaper in Koura: $1,223 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Koura
Learn more

Koura Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Koura

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Koura

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 Koura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,223 in Koura, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Koura $1,223

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,925 in Koura, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Koura $1,925

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,628 in Koura, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Koura $2,628

Medellin costs about 34% more than Koura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Koura is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.99 LBP 1.1M

-32.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

-32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.17 LBP 910.0K

-6.59%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$4.56 LBP 408.3K

-33.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.36 LBP 211.0K

-23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.83 LBP 74.7K

69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.88 LBP 437.0K

-34.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.68 LBP 418.8K

22.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.00 LBP 178.6K

-24.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.84 LBP 75.3K

183.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.16 LBP 193.2K

-18.06%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.67 LBP 328.2K

-21.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.98 LBP 983.1K

-7.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$10.81 LBP 967.4K

-8.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$15.09 LBP 1.4M

-7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.99 LBP 267.6K

32.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.73 LBP 154.8K

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.61 LBP 144.4K

35.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.48 LBP 132.6K

47.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.25 LBP 111.9K

56.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.60 LBP 143.3K

-0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.18 LBP 105.4K

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.67 LBP 60.0K

85.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.01 LBP 269.5K

31.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$11.20 LBP 1.0M

22.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.28 LBP 114.6K

29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.47 LBP 221.3K

-8.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$2.05 LBP 183.4K

-42.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$5.14 LBP 460.4K

-75.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.21 LBP 197.8K

-7.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$22.19 LBP 2.0M

-61.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.95 LBP 84.9K

42.11%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-37.43%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

6.23%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$215 LBP 19.2M

-21.07%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$23.66 LBP 2.1M

-42.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$37.94 LBP 3.4M

-26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$24.51 LBP 2.2M

78.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$9.82 LBP 878.9K

75.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.90 LBP 886.4K

-30.20%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$679 LBP 60.8M

17.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.4K LBP 933.6M

-12.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$68.1 LBP 6.1M

24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

15.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$140 LBP 12.5M

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$121 LBP 10.8M

-19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$245 LBP 21.9M

392.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$203 LBP 18.1M

216.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$453 LBP 40.6M

347.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$347 LBP 31.0M

191.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,132 LBP 101.3M

268.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$860 LBP 77.0M

122.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$602 LBP 53.9M

9.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-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 Koura: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Koura

$203 16.6% 68.4% $439

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Koura

$277 22.6% 6.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Koura

$277 22.6% 30.9% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Koura

$228 18.6% 34.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Koura

$170 13.9% 0.9% $1.5

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Koura

$24 * 2% 73.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Koura

$44 3.6% 23% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $245 in Koura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% 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 in Medellin versus $70 in Koura. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $277 in Koura – so Koura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇧 Koura

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

03:47 3:47 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Koura 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Koura

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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 34% more than Koura, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,834 in Koura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,223 in Koura. That makes Koura about 25% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $679 in Koura. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,223 in Koura. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Koura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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