Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lalmatie Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lalmatie

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $982 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,581 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,180 in Lalmatie.

Living in Medellin is roughly 4% more expensive than Lalmatie, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lalmatie 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.63 MUR 312

-10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$43.44 MUR 2,045

-23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.99 MUR 329

3.43%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.67 MUR 126

-38.95%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.02 MUR 47.82

6.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.49 MUR 23.11

48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.87 MUR 88.2

-6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.12 MUR 99.7

52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.68 MUR 79.0

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.17 MUR 8.08

658.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.33 MUR 62.7

-0.75%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.28 MUR 107

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$12.58 MUR 593

-65.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.38 MUR 300

-7.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$12.77 MUR 602

-32.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.04 MUR 96.0

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.94 MUR 91.4

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.43 MUR 67.5

6.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$2.00 MUR 94.1

-29.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.99 MUR 46.42

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.93 MUR 43.77

25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.74 MUR 34.70

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.74 MUR 35.03

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.78 MUR 319

-66.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.39 MUR 348

49.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.77 MUR 83.5

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.14 MUR 101

11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.99 MUR 46.66

-15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$54.6 MUR 2,571

-23.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$4.33 MUR 204

-67.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.24 MUR 58.3

53.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$19.45 MUR 916

-60.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.41 MUR 66.6

-28.37%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-50.52%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

-7.43%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$46.66 MUR 2,197

79.34%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$12.54 MUR 591

-24.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$33.02 MUR 1,555

-26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$38.44 MUR 1,810

-34.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.89 MUR 278

-30.39%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$99.5 MUR 4,686

213.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,886 MUR 183.0K

54.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$12.88 MUR 607

350.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$25.40 MUR 1,196

28.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$49.75 MUR 2,343

100.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$37.41 MUR 1,762

190.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$507 MUR 23.9K

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$347 MUR 16.4K

9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$944 MUR 44.4K

-11.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$736 MUR 34.7K

-1.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$621 MUR 29.3K

-12.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $507 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lalmatie pays 15% 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 $43.00 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $223 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 Lalmatie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lalmatie is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lalmatie earns 15% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $507 in Lalmatie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lalmatie runs roughly 30% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $99.5 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $982 in Lalmatie versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lalmatie but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lalmatie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lalmatie is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lalmatie are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lalmatie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.