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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $871 in Lanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,452 in Lanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,033 in Lanus.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than Lanus, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lanus 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$8.98 ARS 12.8K

-33.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$29.88 ARS 42.6K

9.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.92 ARS 12.7K

-20.52%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.72 ARS 2,453

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.28 ARS 1,829

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$1.18 ARS 1,677

-33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.24 ARS 1,768

35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.81 ARS 4,009

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.22 ARS 1,734

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.53 ARS 2,176

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.85 ARS 2,643

-25.41%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.24 ARS 3,190

-2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.04 ARS 17.2K

-63.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.12 ARS 8,727

-8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$9.59 ARS 13.7K

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.87 ARS 2,670

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.13 ARS 3,035

-50.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.93 ARS 1,323

61.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.61 ARS 3,727

-47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.43 ARS 2,035

-19.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.37 ARS 1,956

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.86 ARS 1,231

3.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.47 ARS 2,102

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$3.22 ARS 4,590

-29.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$5.91 ARS 8,431

80.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.26 ARS 1,796

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.02 ARS 4,305

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.84 ARS 1,192

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.63 ARS 2,327

-9.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.93 ARS 1,330

110.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.88 ARS 8,382

31.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.07 ARS 1,530

-11.21%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$23.9K ARS 34.1M

-24.09%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$26.4K ARS 37.6M

0.42%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$56.1 ARS 80.1K

46.51%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.32 ARS 26.1K

-48.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$14.58 ARS 20.8K

66.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$26.56 ARS 37.9K

-2.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$13.73 ARS 19.6K

38.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.92 ARS 7,023

-20.12%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$331 ARS 471.8K

-6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,092 ARS 1.6M

446.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$61.1 ARS 87.1K

-3.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$60.9 ARS 86.9K

-46.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$107 ARS 152.4K

-3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$95.4 ARS 136.1K

13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$340 ARS 484.8K

40.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$241 ARS 343.5K

57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$687 ARS 979.4K

22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$542 ARS 773.1K

33.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,953 ARS 2.8M

42.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lanus: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $340 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 $188 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,306 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: $476 in Medellin versus $340 in Lanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $331 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 $871 in Lanus versus $1,013 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 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.