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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $945 in Lomas de Zamora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,556 in Lomas de Zamora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,168 in Lomas de Zamora.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than Lomas de Zamora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lomas de Zamora 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$8.91 ARS 12.8K

-32.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$29.52 ARS 42.5K

11.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.24 ARS 13.3K

-23.27%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.04 ARS 2,929

-16.18%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$2.01 ARS 2,893

-45.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.46 ARS 2,094

-46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$3.67 ARS 5,275

-54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$4.11 ARS 5,919

-25.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.22 ARS 1,748

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.96 ARS 2,826

-35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.04 ARS 2,939

-32.35%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.37 ARS 3,414

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$11.93 ARS 17.2K

-63.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.90 ARS 8,486

-4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.22 ARS 13.3K

-3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.56 ARS 3,688

-8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.16 ARS 3,106

-50.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.31 ARS 1,886

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$2.62 ARS 3,772

-47.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.49 ARS 2,137

-22.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.37 ARS 1,975

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.97 ARS 1,402

-8.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.86 ARS 2,671

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.16 ARS 4,548

-27.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.98 ARS 8,609

77.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.30 ARS 1,864

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.03 ARS 4,353

-18.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.84 ARS 1,206

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$30.47 ARS 43.8K

35.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.65 ARS 2,368

-10.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.91 ARS 1,314

115.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.12 ARS 8,809

26.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.11 ARS 1,593

-14.41%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$23.8K ARS 34.3M

-23.87%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$26.5K ARS 38.1M

-0.03%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$54.2 ARS 78.0K

51.64%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.47 ARS 26.6K

-48.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$14.92 ARS 21.5K

62.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$26.23 ARS 37.7K

-1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$13.89 ARS 20.0K

36.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.01 ARS 13.0K

-56.38%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$295 ARS 424.6K

4.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,568 ARS 5.1M

67.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$61.7 ARS 88.8K

-4.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$60.4 ARS 86.9K

-46.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$108 ARS 155.5K

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$94.9 ARS 136.6K

14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$337 ARS 485.3K

41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$237 ARS 340.2K

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$691 ARS 994.5K

21.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$534 ARS 768.7K

35.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,060 ARS 3.0M

35.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,773 ARS 2.6M

-31.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$696 ARS 1.0M

-26.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

52.71

-74.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lomas de Zamora: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $337 in Lomas de Zamora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lomas de Zamora pays 36% 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 $30.00 in Lomas de Zamora. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $244, with Medellin 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $945 including rent). Lomas de Zamora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lomas de Zamora earns 36% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $337 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 $30.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $945 in Lomas de Zamora – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $945 in Lomas de Zamora versus $1,013 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 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.