Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lecce

For one person, living is cheaper in Lecce: $1,445 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Lecce, Italy
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Lecce
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,445
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lecce

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,445 in Lecce, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Lecce $1,445

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,321 in Lecce, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Lecce $2,321

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,196 in Lecce, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Lecce $3,196

Medellin costs about 13% more than Lecce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Lecce sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Lecce by 6%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$16.84 €15.08
-51.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$68.1 €61.0
-30.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$10.18 €9.12
-6.68%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$1.98 €1.78
52.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$2.16 €1.93
-16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$1.09 €0.98
29.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$3.87 €3.46
-17.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$3.41 €3.06
68.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.43 €1.28
5.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$1.82 €1.63
30.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$2.27 €2.03
-22.03%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$2.50 €2.24
15.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$12.38 €11.09
-17.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$11.26 €10.09
-12.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$16.31 €14.60
-14.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.11 €1.89
88.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$1.94 €1.74
-20.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$1.92 €1.72
13.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$3.50 €3.14
-37.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.65 €1.48
18.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.61 €1.45
-1.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$1.19 €1.07
-3.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$0.38 €0.34
226.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.86 €6.14
-42.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$6.73 €6.03
103.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$1.43 €1.28
16.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$2.46 €2.20
-8.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$1.37 €1.23
-14.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$5.53 €4.95
-77.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$2.19 €1.96
-6.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$23.41 €20.97
-63.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$2.09 €1.87
-35.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$35.7K €32.0K
-4.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$35.6K €31.9K
-2.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$170 €152
-0.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$11.62 €10.40
16.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$27.90 €24.99
0.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$80.6 €72.2
-45.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
$56.3 €50.4
-69.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$8.61 €7.71
-19.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$567 €507
40.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$5,021 €4,497
81.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$82.0 €73.5
3.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$48.10 €43.08
20.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$88.0 €78.9
53.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$78.1 €69.9
25.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$603 €540
100.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$470 €421
36.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,205 €1,080
68.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$903 €808
12.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$3,050 €2,732
36.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,579 €1,414
20.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Lecce
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,602 €1,434
-58.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.82
126.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lecce: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Lecce
$470 26.7% $172
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Lecce
$284 4.2% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Lecce
$210 0.8% $1.7
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Lecce
$228 34.5% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Lecce
$133 21.1% $36
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Lecce
$22 * 76.5% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Lecce
$98 70.1% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $603 in Lecce. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lecce are about 2.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $68 in Lecce. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $284 in Lecce – so Lecce wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇹 Lecce
🕒 Local time
18:10 6:10 PM
00:10 12:10 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
94,773
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Lecce 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Lecce

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 Lecce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lecce cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,168 in Lecce. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lecce, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $603 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Lecce?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,445 in Lecce. That makes Lecce about 12% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $567 in Lecce. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Medellin or Lecce more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lecce – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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