Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Leon Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Leon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,310 in Leon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,130 in Leon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,951 in Leon, rent included.

Medellin costs about 25% more than Leon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Leon is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$13.41 MX$227

-40.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$58.4 MX$990

-17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.46 MX$161

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.36 MX$74.0

-32.57%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.45 MX$24.63

28.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.18 MX$20.06

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.53 MX$59.9

-9.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.12 MX$69.8

38.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.84 MX$31.14

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.99 MX$50.6

-19.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.88 MX$31.81

-9.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.54 MX$60.0

-18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.83 MX$133

28.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$8.41 MX$143

18.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.05 MX$204

17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.64 MX$44.78

50.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.44 MX$24.37

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.88 MX$31.91

14.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.61 MX$27.30

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.26 MX$38.34

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.19 MX$37.11

-31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.47 MX$24.86

-18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.75 MX$12.75

70.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.99 MX$84.6

-23.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$14.97 MX$254

-6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.47 MX$41.90

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.95 MX$67.0

-30.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.86 MX$14.51

45.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$38.63 MX$655

101.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.91 MX$49.34

-54.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.01 MX$51.1

-27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$16.16 MX$274

-48.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.54 MX$26.09

-11.69%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.6K MX$383.6K

21.49%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.1K MX$442.3K

40.15%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$23.17 MX$393

628.18%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$44.43 MX$754

-69.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$61.4 MX$1,042

-53.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$64.6 MX$1,096

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$37.34 MX$633

-53.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.97 MX$118

-4.59%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$199 MX$3,379

303.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,148 MX$70.4K

121.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$60.1 MX$1,019

45.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$69.9 MX$1,186

-15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$108 MX$1,834

28.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$128 MX$2,170

-20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$565 MX$9,583

89.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$386 MX$6,553

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$837 MX$14.2K

130.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$735 MX$12.5K

42.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$577 MX$9,783

13.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.6

-5.69%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Leon: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $565 in Leon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $58.0 in Leon. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $285 in Leon – so Leon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 25% more than Leon, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,965 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $58.0 in Leon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $1,310, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leon costs $1,310 versus $1,641 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Leon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.