Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Liepaja Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Liepaja

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,555 per month in Medellin vs $1,328 in Liepaja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Medellin vs $2,034 in Liepaja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Medellin vs $2,741 in Liepaja, rent included.

Medellin costs about 17% more than Liepaja, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 15% above the global median, while Liepaja is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.8K

$11.35 €10.08

-33.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 COP 146.1K

$67.7 €60.1

-33.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 30.2K

$9.12 €8.10

1.32%

Cappuccino

$2.95 COP 9,617

$2.80 €2.48

5.36%

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

$1.80 COP 5,877

$1.63 €1.45

10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,403

$1.17 €1.04

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 COP 9,569

$3.89 €3.46

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 COP 17.8K

$2.30 €2.05

137.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,676

$1.19 €1.06

20.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,806

$1.50 €1.33

59.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,223

$2.56 €2.27

-37.50%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,390

$3.69 €3.28

-21.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 COP 31.7K

$10.54 €9.36

-7.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 COP 30.8K

$8.44 €7.50

11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 COP 43.2K

$14.29 €12.69

-7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.3K

$2.16 €1.92

73.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,716

$1.88 €1.67

-22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,848

$2.39 €2.13

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,949

$2.87 €2.55

-25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,276

$0.94 €0.84

104.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,997

$1.02 €0.91

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,558

$1.76 €1.56

-38.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,854

$1.00 €0.89

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.4K

$6.11 €5.43

-37.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 COP 42.9K

$8.12 €7.22

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,352

$2.02 €1.80

-18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 COP 7,430

$1.92 €1.71

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,836

$1.74 €1.55

-32.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 COP 240.2K

$34.45 €30.60

113.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,168

$1.90 €1.69

-32.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 COP 6,451

$0.99 €0.88

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.8K

$17.74 €15.76

-55.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,222

$1.73 €1.53

-25.43%

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

$26.8K COP 87.4M

$28.2K €25.0K

-4.92%

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

$34.7K COP 113.2M

$32.0K €28.4K

8.39%

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

$158 COP 515.0K

$315 €280

-49.96%

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

$13.39 COP 43.7K

$17.10 €15.19

-21.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 COP 89.0K

$20.64 €18.34

32.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 COP 144.1K

$57.5 €51.1

-23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 COP 52.2K

$13.83 €12.28

15.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 COP 20.8K

$9.19 €8.17

-30.47%

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

$777 COP 2.5M

$170 €151

357.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 COP 28.7M

$17.6K €15.6K

-50.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 COP 269.9K

$70.7 €62.8

17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 COP 183.1K

$49.80 €44.24

12.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 426.9K

$87.4 €77.6

49.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 COP 312.9K

$142 €127

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.3M

$312 €277

222.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 COP 2.0M

$238 €211

163.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 COP 6.0M

$647 €575

182.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.2M

$467 €415

107.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 COP 12.7M

$1,546 €1,373

152.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 COP 5.1M

$1,149 €1,020

37.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,113 €989

-44.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.2

160.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 28, 2026

Last update for Liepaja: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,006 in Medellin versus $312 in Liepaja. 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 80% higher in Liepaja, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin versus $68.0 in Liepaja. Groceries tell a different story – $285 in Medellin vs $269 in Liepaja – so Liepaja 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 Liepaja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 17%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,333 per month in Medellin and $1,992 in Liepaja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Medellin and $68.0 in Liepaja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,555 in Medellin and $1,328 in Liepaja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liepaja, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Medellin at $1,555. In Liepaja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liepaja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Liepaja. 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.