Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lehliu Gara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lehliu Gara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,072 in Lehliu Gara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,616 in Lehliu Gara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,161 in Lehliu Gara.

Living in Medellin is roughly 53% more expensive than in Lehliu Gara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Lehliu Gara is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$11.23 RON 50.8

-28.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$43.62 RON 198

10.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.91 RON 35.85

19.09%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.60 RON 11.78

13.08%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.23 RON 10.09

-16.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.99 RON 9.00

-26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.16 RON 9.76

48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.30 RON 14.97

73.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.26 RON 5.69

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.74 RON 3.37

224.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.87 RON 8.49

-9.09%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.62 RON 16.38

-20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.17 RON 37.01

23.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.08 RON 27.53

63.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.88 RON 40.20

59.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.34 RON 6.07

197.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.56 RON 7.05

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.58 RON 7.15

36.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.91 RON 8.64

20.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.94 RON 4.26

112.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.07 RON 4.84

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.91 RON 4.11

31.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.78 RON 3.51

64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.93 RON 26.87

-35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.47 RON 24.78

156.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.02 RON 4.64

67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.24 RON 5.63

120.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.83 RON 3.74

50.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$22.56 RON 102

245.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.69 RON 3.14

89.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.73 RON 3.31

197.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.19 RON 32.57

15.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.82 RON 8.26

-25.27%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$29.2K RON 132.2K

-5.85%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$25.7K RON 116.2K

42.44%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$160 RON 724

5.53%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$8.19 RON 37.08

65.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$8.38 RON 37.94

237.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$37.42 RON 169

22.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$22.47 RON 102

-23.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.68 RON 30.24

-0.45%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$625 RON 2,830

28.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,195 RON 23.5K

76.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$99.6 RON 451

-12.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$34.26 RON 155

73.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$63.3 RON 286

119.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$87.2 RON 395

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$435 RON 1,972

145.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$320 RON 1,451

103.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$643 RON 2,911

199.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$537 RON 2,432

95.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,674 RON 7,579

146.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,472 RON 6,667

15.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.2

51.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lehliu Gara: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $435 in Lehliu Gara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $44.00 in Lehliu Gara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $192 per month, with Lehliu Gara 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 Lehliu Gara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lehliu Gara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,608 in Lehliu Gara 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $435 in Lehliu Gara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $625 in Lehliu Gara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,072 in Lehliu Gara versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lehliu Gara but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lehliu Gara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lehliu Gara 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 Lehliu Gara 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 Lehliu Gara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.