Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Libertad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Libertad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,059 in Libertad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,713 in Libertad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,367 in Libertad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Libertad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$14.97 UYU 601

-46.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$61.0 UYU 2,450

-21.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$13.55 UYU 544

-27.01%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$4.52 UYU 181

-30.75%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$2.60 UYU 104

-26.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$2.00 UYU 80.3

-24.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$4.71 UYU 189

-33.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.83 UYU 154

50.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$1.35 UYU 54.0

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$2.93 UYU 118

-15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$1.79 UYU 71.8

-1.12%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$4.75 UYU 191

-37.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$14.00 UYU 562

-28.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$11.97 UYU 481

-15.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.41 UYU 458

25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.83 UYU 114

46.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$2.94 UYU 118

-45.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$1.82 UYU 73.2

23.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$3.07 UYU 123

-26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$2.11 UYU 84.9

-3.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$2.25 UYU 90.4

-31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$1.42 UYU 56.8

-17.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$1.94 UYU 78.0

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$5.48 UYU 220

-28.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$7.98 UYU 320

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$2.24 UYU 89.9

-22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$2.76 UYU 111

3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$1.82 UYU 73.3

-28.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$0.41 UYU 16.42

434.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$10.49 UYU 421

-16.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$2.15 UYU 86.3

-36.28%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

1.19%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$37.4K UYU 1.5M

-4.26%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$185 UYU 7,445

-4.35%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$16.97 UYU 681

-18.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$45.76 UYU 1,838

-35.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$12.39 UYU 498

-46.33%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$631 UYU 25.3K

28.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$10.6K UYU 424.5K

-13.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$97.9 UYU 3,932

-8.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$56.0 UYU 2,249

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$121 UYU 4,872

13.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$132 UYU 5,318

-22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.49

99.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Libertad: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $61.0 in Libertad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $332 per month, with Medellin 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 Libertad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Libertad differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,059 including rent). Libertad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,589 in Libertad 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.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,059 in Libertad – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,059 in Libertad versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Libertad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Libertad 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Libertad 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 Libertad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.