Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lalmatie

For one person, living is cheaper in Lalmatie: $710 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Lalmatie, Mauritius
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Lalmatie
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$710
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lalmatie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $710 in Lalmatie.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Lalmatie $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,255 in Lalmatie.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Lalmatie $1,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,800 in Lalmatie.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Lalmatie $1,800

Living in Medellin is roughly 131% more expensive than in Lalmatie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lalmatie is 48% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$5.71 MUR 269
41.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.8K
$37.76 MUR 1,779
24.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$7.61 MUR 358
24.84%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,729
$2.71 MUR 128
11.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,806
$1.03 MUR 48.44
74.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,558
$0.52 MUR 24.28
171.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$1.84 MUR 86.5
72.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.15 MUR 101
167.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,873
$1.55 MUR 72.9
-2.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,673
$0.17 MUR 8.14
1300.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,716
$1.12 MUR 52.7
58.04%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,327
$2.68 MUR 126
7.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$12.49 MUR 589
-18.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$6.29 MUR 296
56.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$11.38 MUR 536
22.93%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.88 MUR 136
37.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,009
$2.56 MUR 121
-39.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,044
$1.39 MUR 65.7
56.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.99 MUR 93.6
9.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,333
$1.02 MUR 47.89
92.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,129
$1.01 MUR 47.77
57.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$0.74 MUR 34.96
55.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,012
$0.91 MUR 42.87
36.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.55 MUR 309
-39.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$7.37 MUR 347
85.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,356
$1.70 MUR 80.2
-2.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,286
$2.40 MUR 113
-5.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,769
$1.08 MUR 51.0
8.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.7K
$54.6 MUR 2,572
41.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,092
$4.36 MUR 206
-70.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,608
$1.28 MUR 60.2
60.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$21.17 MUR 997
-59.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,346
$1.42 MUR 67.0
-4.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.9M
$36.9K MUR 1.7M
-7.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$31.2K MUR 1.5M
11.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.5K
$44.32 MUR 2,088
282.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$10.75 MUR 506
26.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$29.01 MUR 1,367
-3.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.0K
$37.87 MUR 1,785
15.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$6.55 MUR 309
5.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$98.7 MUR 4,652
706.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$7,709 MUR 363.2K
18.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.4K
$12.55 MUR 591
575.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.0K
$25.36 MUR 1,195
128.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.5K
$50.5 MUR 2,381
167.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.8K
$37.95 MUR 1,788
157.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Lalmatie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$204 MUR 9,631
490.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$100 MUR 4,734
538.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$615 MUR 29.0K
229.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$375 MUR 17.7K
170.04%
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
Lalmatie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$630 MUR 29.7K
4.26%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Lalmatie
$100 84.3% $541
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Lalmatie
$228 23.3% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Lalmatie
$84 60.2% $127
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Lalmatie
$121 28.9% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Lalmatie
$57 66.3% $112
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Lalmatie
$70 25.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Lalmatie
$51 11.4% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $204 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 4% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $38 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $228 per month, with Lalmatie cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇺 Lalmatie
🕒 Local time
23:54 11:54 PM
08:54 8:54 AM
9 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
10,641
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 47.12 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.81 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Lalmatie 14,750 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Lalmatie

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 Lalmatie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lalmatie cheaper than Medellin?
Lalmatie is about 57% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Medellin or Lalmatie?
Average pay runs 4% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Lalmatie?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $204 in Lalmatie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Lalmatie runs roughly 29% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $99 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Lalmatie?
At $710 in Lalmatie versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Lalmatie?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lalmatie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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