Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lelydorp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $198 in Lelydorp.

Medellin $1,639
Lelydorp $198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $404 in Lelydorp.

Medellin $2,413
Lelydorp $404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $610 in Lelydorp.

Medellin $3,186
Lelydorp $610

Living in Medellin is roughly 727% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lelydorp is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.06 SRD 189

59.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$35.04 SRD 1,310

34.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.06 SRD 227

56.77%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.27 SRD 47.42

41.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.46 SRD 17.35

206.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.99 SRD 74.4

59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.04 SRD 114

89.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.18 SRD 44.05

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.98 SRD 36.47

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.18 SRD 44.09

50.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.79 SRD 104

3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.88 SRD 145

154.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$7.79 SRD 291

79.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.47 SRD 54.8

5.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.99 SRD 36.98

97.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.98 SRD 36.74

62.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.86 SRD 32.34

44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.06 SRD 76.9

-19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.52 SRD 19.42

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.88 SRD 33.08

53.41%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$302 SRD 11.3K

117.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-35.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays about 2.2 times 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 $35 in Lelydorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $115 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 37.39 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.75 SRD (100 SRD = 2.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Lelydorp 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $198 in Lelydorp – Lelydorp is about 88% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lelydorp wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.