Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lomas de Zamora Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lomas de Zamora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,205 in Lomas de Zamora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,981 in Lomas de Zamora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,756 in Lomas de Zamora.

Living in Medellin is roughly 36% more expensive than in Lomas de Zamora, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Lomas de Zamora is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.93 ARS 15.0K

-19.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$52.3 ARS 78.8K

-7.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$11.46 ARS 17.3K

-17.80%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.41 ARS 5,137

-13.78%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.15 ARS 3,236

-13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.70 ARS 2,563

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.63 ARS 5,476

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.61 ARS 6,961

23.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.31 ARS 1,983

9.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.98 ARS 2,981

21.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.52 ARS 2,291

11.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.78 ARS 4,197

3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.45 ARS 15.8K

-3.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$10.04 ARS 15.1K

-0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.75 ARS 4,143

44.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.99 ARS 3,000

-20.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.34 ARS 2,024

60.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.10 ARS 3,171

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.17 ARS 1,772

70.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.14 ARS 1,720

32.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.36 ARS 2,044

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.72 ARS 2,591

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.34 ARS 5,038

14.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.20 ARS 7,842

169.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.71 ARS 2,579

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.64 ARS 3,980

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.06 ARS 1,602

17.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$26.45 ARS 39.9K

194.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.62 ARS 2,451

-19.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.01 ARS 1,529

114.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.54 ARS 11.4K

9.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.33 ARS 2,012

2.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$16.5K ARS 24.9M

66.75%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$29.5K ARS 44.4M

24.03%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$97.9 ARS 147.6K

72.39%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$20.31 ARS 30.6K

-33.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$27.53 ARS 41.5K

2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$30.24 ARS 45.6K

51.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$33.74 ARS 50.9K

-48.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.23 ARS 12.4K

-19.20%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$298 ARS 450.2K

169.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,437 ARS 11.2M

23.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$112 ARS 169.2K

-22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$93.4 ARS 140.8K

-36.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$118 ARS 177.3K

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$98.1 ARS 148.0K

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$475 ARS 717.2K

125.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$318 ARS 479.7K

105.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$930 ARS 1.4M

106.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$725 ARS 1.1M

44.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,018 ARS 4.6M

36.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,506 ARS 2.3M

12.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$743 ARS 1.1M

-11.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.56

-80.66%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lomas de Zamora: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $475 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lomas de Zamora pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $52.0 in Lomas de Zamora. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $271, with Lomas de Zamora cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lomas de Zamora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lomas de Zamora differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,205 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Lomas de Zamora. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $475 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lomas de Zamora – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,205 in Lomas de Zamora – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,205 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lomas de Zamora but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lomas de Zamora 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 Lomas de Zamora 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 Lomas de Zamora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.