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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $985 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,606 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,226 in Lalmatie.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than in Lalmatie, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Lalmatie 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$6.74 MUR 315

-12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$43.59 MUR 2,042

-24.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.97 MUR 327

6.60%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.67 MUR 125

-38.20%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.01 MUR 47.34

8.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.53 MUR 24.98

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.87 MUR 87.5

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.12 MUR 99.5

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.61 MUR 75.5

-31.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.17 MUR 7.83

641.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.28 MUR 59.9

7.81%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.25 MUR 106

-3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$12.48 MUR 585

-64.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$6.25 MUR 293

-7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$12.79 MUR 599

-29.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.04 MUR 95.7

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$2.01 MUR 94.1

-47.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.43 MUR 67.0

6.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$2.08 MUR 97.4

-34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.04 MUR 48.72

8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.00 MUR 47.07

17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.73 MUR 34.27

23.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.75 MUR 34.99

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$6.47 MUR 303

-65.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$7.65 MUR 358

58.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.79 MUR 84.0

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.23 MUR 104

11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$1.01 MUR 47.20

-15.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$54.8 MUR 2,565

-24.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$4.28 MUR 201

-66.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.27 MUR 59.7

53.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$19.86 MUR 930

-60.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.41 MUR 66.0

-29.79%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$35.1K MUR 1.6M

-49.91%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$28.8K MUR 1.3M

-6.82%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$46.82 MUR 2,193

77.30%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$12.89 MUR 604

-24.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$33.39 MUR 1,564

-29.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$38.55 MUR 1,806

-34.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.07 MUR 284

-34.93%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$100 MUR 4,702

214.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$3,884 MUR 181.9K

53.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$12.49 MUR 585

380.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$24.90 MUR 1,166

27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$51.3 MUR 2,402

98.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$37.58 MUR 1,760

185.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$523 MUR 24.5K

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$355 MUR 16.6K

5.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$947 MUR 44.4K

-10.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$710 MUR 33.3K

1.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$632 MUR 29.6K

-1.26%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $523 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lalmatie pays 1% 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 $44.00 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Lalmatie. 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: $475 in Medellin versus $523 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 32% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $100 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $985 in Lalmatie versus $1,003 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.