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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,047 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,543 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,040 in Lviv.

Living in Medellin is roughly 61% more expensive than in Lviv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Lviv is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.59 ₴294

21.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$35.88 ₴1,602

33.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.56 ₴293

50.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.22 ₴99.0

40.99%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.25 ₴55.7

52.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.33 ₴59.2

13.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.52 ₴113

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.98 ₴133

92.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.24 ₴55.2

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.86 ₴38.24

189.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.74 ₴77.7

1.72%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.08 ₴92.8

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.87 ₴396

13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.67 ₴208

116.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.81 ₴349

83.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.32 ₴59.0

213.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.60 ₴71.3

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.84 ₴82.2

22.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.77 ₴124

-18.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.77 ₴34.58

164.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.52 ₴23.18

196.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.38 ₴61.4

-15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.57 ₴25.48

129.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.97 ₴133

31.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.25 ₴279

124.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.98 ₴43.91

77.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.50 ₴67.1

91.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.58 ₴26.00

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$20.53 ₴916

292.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.94 ₴131

-55.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.35 ₴15.73

525.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.25 ₴190

104.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.69 ₴75.6

-18.93%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$29.4K ₴1.3M

-5.42%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.4K ₴1.1M

40.77%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$84.3 ₴3,763

110.32%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$5.95 ₴266

133.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$7.15 ₴319

315.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$31.42 ₴1,403

42.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$14.48 ₴646

18.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.80 ₴214

38.54%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$328 ₴14.7K

147.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,093 ₴316.6K

29.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$85.3 ₴3,806

4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$44.08 ₴1,968

33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$97.7 ₴4,359

41.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$101 ₴4,507

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$519 ₴23.2K

104.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$419 ₴18.7K

58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$932 ₴41.6K

102.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$630 ₴28.1K

63.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,018 ₴90.1K

107.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,290 ₴57.6K

29.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$644 ₴28.7K

5.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.33

-17.93%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lviv: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $519 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 5% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $183 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,047 including rent). Lviv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $519 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $328 in Lviv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in Lviv versus $1,681 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 61% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.