Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lanus Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lanus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $903 in Lanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,472 in Lanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,041 in Lanus.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than in Lanus, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Lanus 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$8.85 ARS 13.1K

-30.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$29.78 ARS 44.0K

9.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$9.23 ARS 13.6K

-20.48%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.70 ARS 2,514

1.18%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.28 ARS 1,897

-17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.18 ARS 1,747

-34.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.20 ARS 1,781

40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.77 ARS 4,097

14.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.29 ARS 1,900

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.55 ARS 2,284

-16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.86 ARS 2,742

-24.73%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.26 ARS 3,347

-4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$11.86 ARS 17.5K

-62.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.91 ARS 8,728

-0.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.67 ARS 14.3K

-10.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.83 ARS 2,699

24.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.04 ARS 3,008

-45.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.98 ARS 1,447

56.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.54 ARS 3,750

-46.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.50 ARS 2,220

-24.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.43 ARS 2,111

-20.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.94 ARS 1,389

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.47 ARS 2,175

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.30 ARS 4,878

-29.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.02 ARS 8,897

105.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.25 ARS 1,852

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.13 ARS 4,627

-20.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.77 ARS 1,133

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.58 ARS 2,336

-10.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.85 ARS 1,252

125.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.92 ARS 8,750

29.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.02 ARS 1,514

-2.94%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$24.4K ARS 36.0M

-25.98%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$26.4K ARS 39.0M

0.93%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$54.4 ARS 80.5K

48.44%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$18.48 ARS 27.3K

-46.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$14.39 ARS 21.3K

68.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$25.92 ARS 38.3K

-3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.71 ARS 20.3K

39.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.07 ARS 7,500

-21.50%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$333 ARS 491.9K

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,099 ARS 1.6M

451.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$62.1 ARS 91.8K

-6.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$60.2 ARS 89.0K

-46.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$107 ARS 157.5K

-5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$96.0 ARS 141.9K

12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$342 ARS 505.6K

39.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$237 ARS 350.5K

58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$688 ARS 1.0M

22.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$548 ARS 809.2K

33.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,179 ARS 3.2M

47.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,315 ARS 1.9M

4.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

52.71

-74.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lanus: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $342 in Lanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Lanus. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $230, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanus is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,354 in Lanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $342 in Lanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $333 in Lanus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lanus – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $903 in Lanus versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanus but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanus 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 Lanus 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 Lanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.