Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Limeira Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Limeira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $762 in Limeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,173 in Limeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,583 in Limeira.

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than Limeira, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Limeira 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.37 R$22.14

36.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$14.51 R$73.5

129.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.66 R$28.67

27.74%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.19 R$6.03

36.97%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.81 R$4.09

34.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.69 R$3.48

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.23 R$6.21

41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.84 R$9.33

75.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.95 R$4.80

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.43 R$7.23

-9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.94 R$4.78

40.43%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.80 R$9.12

26.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.39 R$42.48

-48.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.19 R$21.20

40.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$6.20 R$31.37

38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.68 R$8.49

33.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.21 R$6.13

-11.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.54 R$7.80

-1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.59 R$8.03

-10.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.27 R$6.43

-7.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.28 R$6.48

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.74 R$3.72

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.50 R$2.54

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.10 R$10.64

7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.80 R$39.49

41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.36 R$6.87

-16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.90 R$9.61

25.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.99 R$4.99

-15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$40.90 R$207

2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.25 R$6.32

12.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.32 R$1.64

493.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.37 R$32.26

21.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.05 R$5.31

-3.81%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$20.3K R$103.0K

-13.56%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$27.4K R$138.9K

-3.43%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$88.1 R$446

-5.03%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$12.16 R$61.6

-22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$14.34 R$72.6

68.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$17.29 R$87.5

46.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$8.50 R$43.04

125.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.13 R$31.02

-33.12%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$182 R$921

71.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,141 R$41.2K

-26.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$47.15 R$239

23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$39.78 R$201

-18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$79.7 R$404

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$41.16 R$208

163.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$293 R$1,483

64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$226 R$1,144

67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$576 R$2,918

45.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$437 R$2,214

65.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,343 R$6,798

111.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,119 R$5,663

9.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$529 R$2,679

2.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Limeira: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $293 in Limeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Limeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $171 per month, with Limeira 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 Limeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Limeira differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $762 including rent). Limeira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 2% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $293 in Limeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limeira – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $762 in Limeira versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limeira but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Limeira 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.

Expats usually find Limeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.