Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Leova Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Leova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,393 in Leova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,132 in Leova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,871 in Leova.

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than in Leova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Leova 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$10.58 MDL 182

-24.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$35.32 MDL 606

36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.62 MDL 165

-2.08%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$0.90 MDL 15.39

226.67%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.55 MDL 9.51

238.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.42 MDL 7.22

247.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.69 MDL 46.13

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.75 MDL 47.27

107.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.71 MDL 29.32

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.56 MDL 26.74

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.41 MDL 24.24

20.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.38 MDL 23.70

109.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$14.50 MDL 249

-30.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.28 MDL 39.11

337.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.29 MDL 73.6

231.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.40 MDL 23.94

184.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.90 MDL 15.37

75.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.03 MDL 17.70

108.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.15 MDL 19.82

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.56 MDL 26.70

28.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.59 MDL 10.18

155.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.45 MDL 7.66

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.06 MDL 18.20

20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.81 MDL 82.5

-20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$15.60 MDL 268

-10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.18 MDL 20.27

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.70 MDL 46.33

1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.40 MDL 6.85

212.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$29.90 MDL 513

160.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.98 MDL 51.1

-56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.56 MDL 9.59

287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.54 MDL 60.7

134.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.43 MDL 24.61

-4.90%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$35.1K MDL 602.3K

-21.73%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$36.4K MDL 624.1K

0.47%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$199 MDL 3,418

-15.28%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$5.90 MDL 101

130.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.89 MDL 376

29.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$89.1 MDL 1,528

-48.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$11.90 MDL 204

44.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.77 MDL 81.8

39.41%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$88.8 MDL 1,524

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$57.0 MDL 978

4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$99.7 MDL 1,710

39.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$115 MDL 1,971

-11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$650 MDL 11.2K

64.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$550 MDL 9,441

18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,560 MDL 26.8K

23.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,148 MDL 19.7K

-8.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,564 MDL 44.0K

60.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,015 MDL 34.6K

-15.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$661 MDL 11.3K

-0.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.19

52.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Leova: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $650 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $197 per month, with Leova 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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leova is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Leova. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $650 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,393 in Leova – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,393 in Leova versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Leova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Leova 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.

Expats usually find Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.