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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $709 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,244 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,780 in Lalmatie.

Living in Medellin is roughly 137% more expensive than in Lalmatie, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Lalmatie is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.72 MUR 272

40.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$37.54 MUR 1,783

27.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.46 MUR 354

32.57%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.62 MUR 124

19.47%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.03 MUR 48.91

85.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.49 MUR 23.26

208.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.84 MUR 87.4

69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.08 MUR 99.0

176.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.59 MUR 75.6

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.15 MUR 7.27

1560.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.15 MUR 54.8

53.91%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.56 MUR 121

15.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$12.49 MUR 593

-19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.04 MUR 287

67.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.38 MUR 540

25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.76 MUR 131

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$2.53 MUR 120

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.46 MUR 69.3

54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.98 MUR 93.9

13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.94 MUR 44.79

117.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.99 MUR 47.03

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.73 MUR 34.75

60.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.92 MUR 43.74

42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$6.33 MUR 301

-38.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$7.35 MUR 349

90.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.71 MUR 81.1

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.30 MUR 109

24.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.07 MUR 50.7

14.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$54.9 MUR 2,608

46.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$4.33 MUR 206

-69.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.22 MUR 58.0

79.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$21.55 MUR 1,024

-59.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.32 MUR 62.8

3.79%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-22.84%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$30.6K MUR 1.5M

16.85%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$44.21 MUR 2,100

301.04%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$10.70 MUR 508

29.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$29.09 MUR 1,382

2.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$36.80 MUR 1,748

21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.39 MUR 304

4.07%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$98.8 MUR 4,691

723.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$7,773 MUR 369.2K

18.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$12.32 MUR 585

626.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$24.65 MUR 1,171

139.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$49.05 MUR 2,330

181.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$37.60 MUR 1,786

171.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$202 MUR 9,580

426.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$97.9 MUR 4,648

577.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$623 MUR 29.6K

203.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$374 MUR 17.8K

174.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$615 MUR 29.2K

10.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.67

64.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $202 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $225 per month, with Lalmatie 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $202 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 47% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $98.8 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $709 in Lalmatie versus $1,681 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 137% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.