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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $755 in Limeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,169 in Limeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,584 in Limeira.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than Limeira, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Limeira 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.49 R$22.38

31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$14.68 R$73.2

123.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.70 R$28.43

26.32%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.20 R$5.98

41.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.76 R$3.78

44.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.74 R$3.70

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.27 R$6.34

31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.83 R$9.14

69.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.97 R$4.84

9.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.40 R$6.98

-10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.99 R$4.96

40.40%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.75 R$8.73

29.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.74 R$43.62

-50.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.24 R$21.14

37.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.11 R$30.48

44.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.63 R$8.14

37.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.25 R$6.24

-13.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.55 R$7.72

-1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.54 R$7.70

-11.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.28 R$6.39

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.29 R$6.44

-13.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.74 R$3.68

14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.50 R$2.48

82.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.19 R$10.95

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.95 R$39.69

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.41 R$7.03

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.83 R$9.12

29.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.01 R$5.02

-21.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$40.45 R$202

1.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.28 R$6.36

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.35 R$1.75

445.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.27 R$31.29

27.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.05 R$5.24

-10.48%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.6K R$102.7K

-12.91%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$27.3K R$136.1K

-1.77%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$86.5 R$432

-2.93%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$11.71 R$58.5

-18.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$14.08 R$70.3

71.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$17.49 R$87.3

47.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$8.44 R$42.09

125.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.45 R$32.19

-39.22%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$180 R$899

69.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$8,090 R$40.4K

-26.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$45.81 R$229

26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$40.13 R$200

-20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$79.2 R$395

26.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$41.15 R$205

160.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$300 R$1,499

62.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$230 R$1,145

60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$581 R$2,899

42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$425 R$2,120

68.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,371 R$6,843

113.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,177 R$5,872

19.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$556 R$2,774

-1.87%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Limeira: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $300 in Limeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Limeira pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 $172 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $755 including rent). Limeira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Limeira earns 2% less. 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: $487 in Medellin versus $300 in Limeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $755 in Limeira versus $1,034 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 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.