Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Leticia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Leticia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,321 in Leticia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,091 in Leticia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,861 in Leticia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than in Leticia, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Leticia is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$8.31 COP 26.2K

-3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$41.05 COP 129.5K

16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.00 COP 28.4K

9.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.00 COP 9,455

4.33%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.58 COP 4,999

20.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.88 COP 2,769

71.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.29 COP 7,231

36.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.60 COP 11.4K

59.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.46 COP 4,609

-1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.35 COP 7,418

5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.48 COP 4,678

19.59%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$3.14 COP 9,909

-5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.56 COP 27.0K

17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$9.81 COP 30.9K

3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.01 COP 44.2K

2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.70 COP 11.7K

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.50 COP 4,739

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.13 COP 6,713

5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.84 COP 5,797

22.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.49 COP 4,699

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.69 COP 5,322

-8.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.06 COP 3,347

10.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.03 COP 3,254

27.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.47 COP 14.1K

-12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$12.13 COP 38.3K

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.35 COP 4,272

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.61 COP 8,231

9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$1.12 COP 3,520

8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.49 COP 4,716

-12.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.03 COP 6,398

7.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$8.72 COP 27.5K

-0.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.17 COP 3,696

17.09%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

0.00%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$33.9K COP 107.0M

5.44%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$121 COP 380.6K

46.93%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$14.60 COP 46.1K

-4.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$26.89 COP 84.8K

10.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$33.01 COP 104.1K

35.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.84 COP 18.4K

13.87%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$660 COP 2.1M

23.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$6,063 COP 19.1M

51.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$77.1 COP 243.1K

16.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$50.1 COP 158.0K

17.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$143 COP 452.2K

-3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$101 COP 317.6K

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$637 COP 2.0M

66.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$506 COP 1.6M

30.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$918 COP 2.9M

105.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$962 COP 3.0M

6.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,044 COP 6.4M

104.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,467 COP 4.6M

14.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.58

-5.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Leticia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $637 in Leticia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $41.00 in Leticia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $279 per month, with Leticia 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 Leticia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leticia wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leticia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,981 in Leticia 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $637 in Leticia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,321 in Leticia – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,321 in Leticia versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Leticia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Leticia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leticia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,321 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leticia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Leticia 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 Leticia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.