Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lviv Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lviv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $910 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,340 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,771 in Lviv.

Living in Medellin is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lviv, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Lviv 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$7.19 ₴321

-14.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$29.12 ₴1,299

11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.28 ₴236

39.02%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.61 ₴72.0

6.83%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.65 ₴28.96

61.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.43 ₴19.17

79.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.31 ₴58.3

29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.73 ₴77.4

83.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.08 ₴48.15

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.75 ₴33.24

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.57 ₴70.1

-10.83%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.85 ₴82.6

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.36 ₴373

-47.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.31 ₴192

36.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.41 ₴331

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$0.98 ₴43.53

132.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.50 ₴66.8

-26.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.66 ₴74.0

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.27 ₴101

-40.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.73 ₴32.46

54.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.53 ₴23.65

113.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.32 ₴59.0

-35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.54 ₴24.02

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.48 ₴111

-5.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.97 ₴266

107.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.80 ₴35.79

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.35 ₴60.4

84.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.61 ₴27.39

37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$10.03 ₴447

304.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.81 ₴126

-49.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.23 ₴10.25

734.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.28 ₴191

78.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.38 ₴61.6

-28.26%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$30.6K ₴1.4M

-41.12%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$22.1K ₴984.0K

20.74%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$86.2 ₴3,846

-6.26%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$4.98 ₴222

99.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$6.30 ₴281

283.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$26.27 ₴1,172

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$9.94 ₴444

92.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.88 ₴218

-18.44%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$298 ₴13.3K

2.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,144 ₴274.1K

-1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$58.8 ₴2,622

-1.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$34.75 ₴1,551

-7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$100 ₴4,476

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$88.3 ₴3,940

22.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$488 ₴21.8K

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$345 ₴15.4K

9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$815 ₴36.4K

3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$553 ₴24.7K

31.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,049 ₴91.4K

56.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,304 ₴58.2K

5.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$639 ₴28.5K

-3.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lviv: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $488 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lviv pays 4% 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 $29.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $166 per month, with Lviv 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 Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lviv differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $910 including rent). Lviv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Lviv. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $488 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $298 in Lviv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $910 in Lviv versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lviv but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lviv 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 Lviv 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 Lviv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.